One of a Kind
by TheSprout
Summary: Vegeta receives a late night visitor who comes with an appealing offer. Would it be enough for him to leave behind his life on Earth? His wife and 14-year-old son worry as the Prince struggles to take his future in hand.
1. Chapter 1

"Do you really have to go?" Vegeta asked, as Bulma was packing enough clothes for a three days trip. He loathed to have Bulma kept away from him. He had thought about accompanying her but she insisted that it would be strictly scientific and that she would be back soon.

"And Trunks needs you." Bulma added as Vegeta was once again trying to have her stay. "He is getting a little bit old to stay with his grand-parents, he will get bored if we live him alone here. Also Gohan is home from college for the week. I will not ask Chichi to have another Saiyan at the table."

Vegeta eventually agreed it would be better for him to stay with his son, it was after all not the first time the woman had to leave on a business trip.

Two days before Bulma had received a phone call coming from a remote military base in the south. They had found a wide metallic piece in the desert that was likely to be a part of an aircraft. They were however not able to determine its origin and had asked for Capsule Corp's expertise. Bulma had immediately decided to go herself, curious to know the story behind this unidentified object.

Despite Vegeta's protests she left the house for the airport a couple of hours later as planned. Trunks quickly showed excitement over spending time with his dad and started making plans for the day. At 14 years old he began to understand how different his family was and knew he had a very unique father. Vegeta promptly told him to calm down before he had to cancel their training together. He had agreed to take Trunks to the mountains where he sometimes went to train by himself when he needed solitude. The conditions were rough; the altitude made the oxygen rare and the freezing temperature was tough for a Saiyan to put up with. Bulma obviously forbade Trunks to go there, claiming he was too young for such an intense sparring session. Vegeta obviously thought it was nonsense as his son already trained daily under two hundred times the Earth gravity. They both had planned to leave after lunch and come back for diner, not willing to skip one of Bunny's meals and have to cook their own food. Vegeta liked to be served as the Prince he was, and Trunks had inherited his mother's ability to burn down the kitchen by making a salad.

Comfortably seated in a private cabin, Bulma looked at the pictures she had received from the base. The piece they had found was strangely curved, surely a part of the fuselage of the aircraft. It reminded her of something but she couldn't quite put her finger on it. It might be from one of the many Capsule Corp's models she had personally designed.

It was already dark when Vegeta decided to head home. Trunks silently flew a few feet behind him, secretly relieved to end the session. He had lost his enthusiasm shortly after the beginning of their training, when he had realized he was far more affected by the cold than he thought he would. His scratched knuckles were aching and he could not feel the tip of his fingers. Also his father, fired to have a decent opponent in a complex fighting arena, had seemed to forget from times to times that he was hitting his own son and that it was not a fight to the death. Trunks had taken a few bad punches and his shirt hid some nasty bruises. He tried to keep up with his father on the way home but breathed painfully in the freshness of the night.

They arrived home late after Mr. and Mrs. Briefs had gone to bed despite their initial plan. Trunks flew directly through his room window, eager to take a hot shower and bandage his wounds. Vegeta was less tired from the spar and went straight to the fridge, hoping to find a meal to heat up. However, as he crossed the front door, he smelled an unfamiliar scent. It was on the handle and the side of the door. Focusing his attention, he deduced that someone had entered the house when he was absent. He quickly reached for his in-laws' kis and was relieved when he felt their weak signals in their bedroom. He couldn't feel anybody else in the house, beside Trunks and himself. He shrugged, surely the old woman had changed her perfume. His hungry stomach decided it was a decent explanation.

Trunks hurried to sit at the kitchen table when the comforting odor of hot food rose in the house. Vegeta had never known how to cook anything but was mysteriously able to perfectly microwave just about every kind of meal, never ending up with a cold-centered bowl of rice or a still-half-frozen slice of pie. Both Saiyans ate quietly until they had emptied the dishes. Trunks was already dreaming about the softness of his pillow when Vegeta talked to him with a low voice:

"How do you feel?"

Trunks raised his head from his plate. It really was an unexpected question coming from his father. It was not like him to show concern.

"I'm fine." the teenager answered, knowing that complaining would only annoy him.

"Boy, don't play that game with me." Vegeta said simply.

Trunks knew he had to tell the truth, but had not planned on telling so much. His exhaustion got over him as he admitted: "I feel like all my bones are broken. I think two of my ribs are shattered. I need to sleep for a week." After a pause he added: "Maybe I overestimated myself on this one."

He then waited with apprehension for a mocking line about his weakness. To his deep incomprehension it never came.

"Well," Vegeta began seriously, "even Gohan would not feel fine after what we did today. Don't be ashamed of your limits. Knowing them will only make your training more efficient."

Trunks didn't know what to say. It was the closest his father would ever come to a compliment. Yet before he could express his relief, Vegeta left the table. "Tomorrow we will rest. Now go to sleep." he ordered as he crossed the door.

A couple of hours later Vegeta found himself lying on the couch, caught in a deep reflection about his day. While he didn't really need a day off his training, he did not want to break the gravity room while the woman was away, and training outside would mean no ki blast or strong punches to keep the garden in its current state. He watched TV for a while after Trunk fell asleep. He didn't like to sleep alone in his bed. He had become used to having the woman beside him and felt uncomfortable lying by himself in the cold sheets. He seriously considered sleeping on the couch. He was dozing off when he sensed a new energy in the house. He got to his feet with an unnatural speed and quickly arrived in front of his bedroom where his could feel a ki. He hesitated for a couple of seconds. It was a low energy, about like a human. But just as he wondered how someone with human strength could be in his bedroom without using the stairs, he smelled it again. The odor he had noticed at the front door. It was a feminine smell, strong and somehow wild. It could have been a trick from Bulma but he would never mistake her ki among others. He carefully opened the door and entered the room without turning on the light. In the dark, he could see a feminine figure sitting on his bed. She looked quite like Chichi, a fit body and long black hair. She wore baggy jeans, boots and a leather jacket over a white T-shirt. She looked about twenty. Vegeta could see she was nervous.

"You had better have a good explanation for your presence." he said threateningly.

There was a time when Vegeta would have killed the intruder without any question, but Bulma surely wouldn't like to have blood on her sheets. As far as he was concerned, the girl on the bed might even be one of the woman's friends and then he wouldn't hear the end of it if he murdered her. Her voice soon rose in the dark:

"You are just as they described you. I need to talk to you, Vegeta."

Vegeta was stunned. He didn't know any other human female beside his own wife and Kakarott's nightmare of a spouse and daughter in law. He believed the monk and the toaster had a female child that was about Trunks' age but it clearly wasn't her here.

"What do you want?" he spat.

"I heard you are a powerful man. I came to offer you even more."

Vegeta shook his head in annoyance. She was one of the crazy women who read tabloids and wanted to take Bulma's place in his bed. Rumor had it the Capsule Corps heiress was living with a very attractive Eastern Prince who loved to workout shirtless in his backyard.

"There is nothing for you here, go away." Vegeta growled.

"I'm afraid I won't. I travelled too far to give up now and I have nowhere else to go. Listen to me, you could have everything you've ever dreamt of."

"I already have what I want. Leave before I blast your head off your shoulders."

Vegeta was genuinely surprised she was still there. Most humans were scared by his mere presence, let alone when he threatened to kill them.

"Really?" she stood up and took several steps toward him. As her smell became stronger he realized it was strangely familiar to him. It triggered his memory, as if he had already met her before, or her family. "Do you really have a throne to claim and a nation to rule? Have you actually given up on being the Prince of all Saiyans?"

She was not even done with her sentence that Vegeta had grabbed her by the throat and pinned her to the wall.

"Who are you?" he roared angrily. "SPEAK!"

She struggled to talk but Vegeta was blinded with rage and did not loosen the pressure on her neck. He could not stand that someone he had never heard of knew so much about him. He started feeling anxious and thought he should have killed her on the spot, for his simple peace of mind. He was quickly brought back from his thoughts when the girl's small hand caught the wrist that held her against the wall and she brutally freed herself. Vegeta could feel it now, she had had to show her true strength to save herself. She was much more powerful than a human. Without thinking he fell into a fighting stance. He couldn't let someone so unpredictable in the same house as his sleeping son. But she didn't move when he landed the first blow in her guts, she didn't try to dodge when he gave a strong kick that made her fall heavily on the floor. He felt mocked. She was strong enough to at least block the attacks, he knew it. He extended his arm in front of him toward the girl as white ball of ki formed in his palm. Under the new light he saw she had lost her confidence. Her dark eyes were wide open in fear as she also took in his appearance. She painfully rolled on her side to face him.

"What do you want, alien?" he growled.

She knew he would fire without hesitation. She stopped thinking and did the only thing that came to her mind. Very slowly she moved to briefly support her weight on her hands and feet instead of sitting on her bottom. Vegeta saw her inner thigh move as if her muscle had twitched under the jeans fabric. But it was not her muscle. As she sat upright Vegeta's eyes got caught by something moving behind her back. He aimed at it with his ki light. And he almost fell down from the sight of it and what it implied.

"Children." the alien murmured, "I want children." There, in the light of the ki, she shyly waved behind her a long, brown, furry monkey tail. A mark of the Saiyans.


	2. Chapter 2

It was almost midnight when Bulma landed at the military airport. She was tired and, although she was puzzled by the mysterious discovery, she was looking forward to go back home with the two men of her life. She was met by a stiff looking general who gave her the schedule of the next day before leading her to her personal room. Once alone she sat on the small bed and tried to call Vegeta. He did not answer his cell phone and she did not want to call on the main line to avoid waking up Trunks. She decided to call in the morning.

Vegeta took five whole minutes to process the information. He looked back at the girl who was still on the floor, not daring to move. There she was. A female. A Saiyan female. He had not seen one since the death of his own mother more than thirty years earlier. After the explosion of Vegetasei only four men remained, condemning his race to an inevitable premature extinction. Yet she was here in front of him. The key to the survival of his race. A way to a new people for him to rule. He thoughtfully considered this new opportunity for so long that his guest eventually decided to take control of the situation. She stood up and went to sit at the end of the bed. Little did she know it was exactly where Bulma sat every morning when she chose her outfit of the day.

Vegeta watched her sit carelessly on the familiar spot. He suddenly remembered he had a wife and a son, a life that left no place for the building of a new race. He slowly came back to reason. Nobody could rebuild a whole race with a single female.

"Why didn't you go find Kakarot?" he asked dryly. "He may be a 3rd class but he is a full blooded Saiyan as well."

"There is another Saiyan alive?" she seemed genuinely surprised.

"Two others" he corrected, "both males, Kakarot and my brother."

"Why would I mate with a third class if the Prince of my people is alive?" she replied with disdain. Her logic reminded him once again of Bulma and he couldn't stand it. The whole situation, the fact that he was alone late at night in his bedroom with a female who wasn't his wife made him feel somehow disgusted with himself. He wouldn't have liked to know the woman alone in the dark with another man with such clear intentions, and therefore considered it was also wrong for him to do so.

"Leave." he ordered.

"But why?" she did not understand his reaction. What kind of life could he be living here on Earth to turn down such an offer? She had heard that he had found shelter on this planet after Frieza's fall, but so far she thought he was forced to stay here for some reason. She wouldn't have been surprised to find him hiding and waiting for an opportunity to leave. She had hoped to be welcomed as a savior, but he didn't seem to even care about her existence.

"I said leave. Get out of this house. You shouldn't have come, go back to where you are from."

"But..." she insisted incredulously. It was more than Vegeta could take, he glanced at her and rose a menacing hand. He wanted her to be out of his sight before he let himself to curiosity. He was so shaken by the discovery that he didn't even think about killing her. He just wanted to be alone to deal with this new information quietly. Reluctantly, the female stood up from the bed and walked to the window. "You know how to find me."

And she left gracefully, flying up in the dark sky.

XxXx

Bulma joined the scientific team in the early morning. They had new elements to show her, new pieces had been found in the desert since the first discovery. One of the scientists had prepared a tedious presentation to explain the situation. When she looked the other pictures and the complementary data they had collected, Bulma realized why the pieces seemed so familiar. It hit her so suddenly she gasped and wondered how she had not understood it sooner. At the end of the meeting, the team looked at her, expecting to hear her conclusions but she was unable to give them any acceptable answer. Bulma's brain was rushing; she perfectly knew what had crashed in the sand but no one in the military had to know.

"I need to make a phone call" she simply declared as she quickly left the meeting room.

Vegeta woke up when he heard the phone ring. He had barely slept, upset by his late-night encounter. Besides, he hardly ever answered the phone. It made no sense to him to have this device in the bedroom, where the only possible thing it could do was disturb them while they slept or were very busy.  
"What?" he growled in the phone.

"Vegeta!" he moved the device away from his ear with a grimace. Why did the woman always have to scream in the phone as if he was deaf?

"It's a space pod!" Bulma said with excitement, "They found a space pod!".

Vegeta quickly understood that the girl had not taken the trouble to conceal her arrival on Earth.

"Come back home right know." he ordered.

"I need to give them explanations, I can't leave right now." Bulma protested, irritation in her voice.

"Bulma," Vegeta grunted, "the pod didn't come on its own. What kind of people do you think come in a Saiyan pod?"

"I know! But I can't flee the base, they would suspect something..."

"Tell them whatever you want, I'll come and bring you home." With that, the Saiyan Prince hung up the phone. It was foolish but he needed Bulma home. He was ashamed to admit it but he wanted to see her and remember why he was still on Earth after all this time. Somehow, he had to make sure it was still worth turning down the girl last night. Heading into his son's room, he woke up Trunks unceremoniously.

"But Daaaaad... you said it was a rest day" the teenager moaned.

"Trunks, I'm leaving to pick up your Mother. We will be back by lunchtime." After that, Vegeta left, flying off toward Bulma's location. Trunks didn't really seem to pay attention but his dad was already gone. He fell back asleep.

Vegeta didn't know how to feel. He wasn't used to this kind of dilemma. He hadn't told Bulma that he knew who had brought the Saiyan pod. It wasn't really a lie, but he didn't feel right hiding the truth from his mate. Above all, he hated to have to deal with all those feelings. It had taken him years to learn how to leave comfortably with his family and now someone had shattered the fragile balance between his past and present lives, creating uneasiness and doubt. He flew to the south, wondering what to tell Bulma. Or maybe whether to tell Bulma or not.

A couple of hours later, Trunks woke up with a strange feeling. He remembered his Father taking to him. He had heard something about his Mother and the lunch. For a second he thought his Father had left because his Mother wanted to cook for lunch. It was a fairly good reason to leave, but it made no sense though, as she was on a business trip and therefore couldn't be in the kitchen. Then he remembered better. Vegeta was going to bring his Mum back home. Flying to transport someone else was not his usual behavior, even for Bulma, something must have happened. Something that would threaten Bulma's life. He became really worried and almost forgot to have breakfast, staying by the window and hoping to see his parents come back. He tried to occupy his mind by playing video games but it didn't quite do the trick.

The girl couldn't miss such an opportunity. She had spent the night outside, considering her recent rejection and trying to figure out a new plan to meet one of the last Saiyan males. She had felt second strong ki when entering the Capsules Corps house. Vegeta had talked about other Saiyan males, she was eager to meet his brother. After all, he had royal blood as well. When she saw Vegeta fly away from home, she decided it could be interesting to investigate there. She flew toward the balcony, hiding her ki to enjoy the sight. She found herself quite confused when she saw a young boy with purple hair. He had a very high energy level and was definitely not human, but she had never heard about Saiyan with another hair color than black. Once again, she was already too far in her plan to back up. She raised her ki and sat outside, waiting for him to notice her.

Trunks was aware it was absolutely foolish to open the window when he felt somebody outside, especially when he was alone at home. But he was curious and wanted to test his training in an actual situation, he was not going to wait inside for his father to come and save him, when he was already busy taking care of his mother. Ignoring everything he had ever been taught about strategy, he jumped outside, ready to defend his life.

"Where is your tail?" a feminine voice asked behind him. Trunks was surprised to see a woman sitting on the roof. She was about 20, her long black hair was smooth and shiny, she was fit and looked quite taken aback. He had never seen a girl like her. She didn't move so he decided not to attack her, at least not yet.

"Who are you?" he stood like his father, his arm crossed on his chest, frowning.

"I'm Elery, who are you, young man?"

"My name is Trunks. What do you want? What was that about the tail?" he said aggressively.

"Vegeta said he had a brother." she answered vaguely. "Are you tucking it in your jeans?" And saying that she took her tail out to show what she meant.

"Whaaa!" Trunks had never seen anybody with a tail. He knew that his father, Goku and Gohan used to have one but he and Goten were born without it. He felt weirdly interested by the girl. She jumped and landed smoothly on the balcony just in front of Trunks. She looked at him closely, not really sure what to do. He didn't look like a Saiyan at all but he wasn't human either and he definitely shared physical traits with Vegeta. She was curious to know more about him. Trunks froze into place when she reached out with her hand to touch a strand of his lavender hair. It was surely not the first thing two strangers would do when meeting for the first time but she didn't seem to have any idea of what was socially acceptable and what was not. His instinct screamed to be careful, to stay away, but he didn't move and let her feel the thin texture on his head. He felt his face redden when her hand brushed against his cheek and he stepped back. The last time someone had touched his face was when Goten had managed to land a punch in his jaw during one of their casual sparring session. He was not used to this kind of contact. Her smell as well was different from the things Trunks was used to. It was warm and comforting. Altogether, he suddenly felt quite uneasy and almost regretted opening the door. However the moment was short lived, the girl suddenly withdrew her hand opened wide eyes:

"Oh no…"

Trunks also had felt his father approach. Vegeta was flying very quickly. He was going to have a bad time.


	3. Chapter 3

Vegeta didn't slow down when he reached the house, grabbed the girl by the waist in his course and sent her though the wall. She ended on the other side of Trunks' bedroom, crashing in his chest of drawers.

"DAD!" Trunks was upset. Why did his father attack her? She wasn't exactly threatening him. Vegeta ignored his son, his attention solely focused on the female Saiyan. He had dropped Bulma on the roof of one of the Capsule Corps' buildings when he had felt the new ki in his house. The girl had dared come back.

"What do you think you're doing?" he asked her with a threatening voice.

"I was looking for your brother" she answered as she stood up and dusted her clothes.

"You'd better stay away from my family." the Prince growled dangerously, narrowing his eyes.

"Come on, your people are dead, two brothers don't form a family…" She said, jaded. Vegeta didn't let her finish, not only was she wrong, but she allowed herself to be condescending when the situation clearly wasn't to her advantage. As Trunks started to wonder what kind of girl would stand up against his father, Vegeta hit her with a side kick without holding back. He had no intention to kill her, he just needed to let out his rage. Trunks however didn't know that she could take such a blow without dying and started to believe his father had gone back to his roots and decided to murder her here and now.

Bulma landed in her backyard a few minutes after Vegeta's takeoff. Seen her husband infuriated, she had feared for her son's life. She had encapsulated her helicopter and flown to the house as fast as she could. However what she found there was not what she expected. When she opened the door to Trunks' bedroom, she saw Vegeta standing up, his arm extended in front of him, his hand lightened with a blue wave of ki. On the other site of the room, Trunks was standing on the balcony, holding on the rail as if he had seen a ghost. There was a giant hole in the wall and the room was covered in rubble.

"Vegeta, I told you not to kill people in my house, it includes your son's bedroom. Besides, I hope you can explain the mess." Bulma stated blankly.

"Woman, this is none of your business." he said peevishly.

"Oh really? My husband tries to murder someone in front of my son in my parent's house but I shouldn't feel concerned? And I thought there was a brain under your hair..."

"This is between her and me."

Bulma looked as confident as ever but behind her self-assured face, she felt a hint of worry. She had no idea of what was happening but it was not like Vegeta to associate with someone she didn't know. He barely put up with Goku's group of friends and seemed perfectly fine with spending most of his time with his wife and son. Bulma quickly understood that the girl had to be different to be worth her husband's attention. When she tried to think about the things in a woman that could catch Vegeta's interest, she looked at the mysterious guest and came to a disturbing conclusion. Her hair and her eyes were the deepest black, a shade Bulma had only ever seen on a certain type of people. Suddenly, she needed to talk to the girl and, even if she hoped to be wrong, she had to test her theory. True she could have asked Vegeta , there was no possible mistake for him, but she wasn't ready for the complicated talk that would come if her thoughts were accurate.

"Well, I feel better now thank you, you monkey." Bulma answered as lightly as she could. "Also Trunks seems pretty involved, is she a friend of yours sweetie?" she improvised.

Trunks didn't really know why he did it but he felt like it was somehow the right thing to do at that moment. He heard himself agree:

"Yes! I invited her over while you both where away. I didn't think you'd be back so quickly. Dad... You know, he doesn't like surprises, he kind of overreacted."

Vegeta watched his son defend the girl, he was appalled. It couldn't be true, until yesterday the girl thought he was the only Saiyan alive. Why was Trunks acting like that? What had she told him?

"How sweet of you Vegeta to welcome her with your kind manners." Bulma added. She turned to the girl who was still on the ground, supporting herself on her elbows. "Please excuse my husband. Come with me, we will check your injuries and I'll make some tea, we have a lot to talk about. I'm so glad Trunks decided to introduce to us one of his friends!"

Vegeta watched the girl follow his wife out of the bedroom. She had once again hidden her tail in her large jeans. He growled with rage and flew to the front of the house, leaving Trunks alone with his questions among shattered pieces of walls and window. There he could overhear the two women and be ready to protect his wife if needed. Not for the first time, Bulma surprised him with her handling of the situation.

"So how did you meet Trunks?" she said with a joyful voice while placing a hot cup of tea in front of her guest.

The girl did not answer. The woman with blue hair seemed to be human but she lived in a house with Vegeta and the boy with purple hair who were both much stronger than her and had no fear facing them with confidence.

"Alright", Bulma said suddenly dead serious. "I'm done playing, show yourself." She needed to know. Know why this girl had come to her house and no other, see how she had reached Trunks' balcony from outside, understand how she had survived Vegeta's beating, and find why he seemed so obsessed with her. She had the feeling he knew more than he had told her about the space pod she had seen in the morning.

The girl looked at her trying to look innocent but Bulma wasn't new to aliens.

"Darling, your pants might be the worst cut I've ever seen but I grew up with Goku and I'll be damned if it's not a tail you're hiding."

Vegeta chuckled darkly. Bulma might not be a fighter but she sure knew how to analyze her opponents.

The girl turned red and slowly released her tail. She was so surprised the human had discovered her secret she didn't even think about lying further. After the weird boy she now faced a crazy woman with blue hair. Elery had no idea of what that harpy was doing in Vegeta's house. She had referred to him as "husband", so they were mates or at least lived together. Her strength was very low, she presumably was a human Vegeta had kept to deal with house chores. Also the boy was her son, which explained why he had this funky hair color and no tail, he was actually not a Saiyan at all. She didn't get why they were all living in the woman's parents' house, but surely Vegeta had decided to live here as the place was large enough, and had laid down the law to the previous occupants.

Bulma remained impassive, but deep inside she felt like this tail was the saddest thing she had ever seen. As a scientist she understood what a big deal the presence of the girl was. It was as if she had been sent to destroy her family and she wasn't able to do anything about it. Even before meeting Vegeta, this Saiyan woman shared more with her husband than Bulma would ever do. The fight was already lost. Gathering her wits, she composed herself and let nothing shine through:

"Here is the deal", Bulma said, "You keep quiet and do what we tell you to do and you may stay here. We will provide you with food and shelter. However, if you decided to stay and get us in trouble, Vegeta and Goku will make sure you never come alive again within a 100 000 miles range around Earth."

It's the right thing to do, Bulma thought. She couldn't let an unknown Saiyan fool around on Earth, she knew how dangerous they could be. In fact, she had a perfect example of a professional planet destroyer in her own house. As much as it hurt do keep this girl under her roof, she felt like right now she had no other option, for the sake of humanity.

The girl visibly wasn't pleased with the turning of the situation. Also, why was this woman so authoritative? She remained silent for a couple of minutes. Her poorly prepared initial plan was to try and find Vegeta, and she was being offered a place in his house. It would give her time to deal with the woman and the purple haired boy, while trying to convince her Prince to fly away with her.

"Well, I have nowhere to go..." she eventually whispered.

"Fine." Bulma said, "Vegeta you may come in."

"I don't need your permission to come in my own house woman." he answered from outside.

"Alright stay outside then."

He entered with a shrug and stood against the wall, his arm crossed over his chest.

"What now?" he asked. The question was for Bulma but he kept looking at the new alien. Somehow, he couldn't look his wife in the eyes. He knew they would have to talk, sooner or later.

"I'll give her a room and while she settles in you will talk to Trunks. Looks like someone was a little bit shaken to have charming company in his room…"

Vegeta suddenly realized that he had forgotten about his son and his recent strange behavior toward the girl. As his wife climbed the stairs to one of the guest rooms, he wondered if Trunks really understood the challenge of the situation. It quickly appeared that his son wasn't really aware of anything beside the fact that he had met a beautiful girl on the balcony outside of his bedroom.

Trunks was lying on his bed, looking at the ceiling without really seeing it, feeling the cold wind come through the large hole in the wall of his bedroom. He dreaded the moment he would have to explain his behavior. In fact, he couldn't find any reason to justify his actions. He had let a stranger inside his house, and even when he had realized the girl had a tail he hadn't reacted. He felt weak and uncertain. When his father entered his room, what he heard wasn't what he expected. He thought he would have to endure a serious talk about security and dangerous, foolish behavior, but what Vegeta told him really gave a new dimension to the problem.

"What did she tell you?" his father simply asked as he sat down at the end of the bed.

"I think she thought I was your brother... Dad who's she? She can fly and she has got a tail! You used to have one right?" his son questioned, excitement in his voice.

"I did. Trunks, why did you defend her?" Vegeta couldn't understand that. Why defend someone who shown up out of the blue, and in your room?

"I don't know! I don't even know her! I don't understand what happened!" Trunks let out, deeply confused. Vegeta was quite surprised as well, but he had a theory. He didn't really know much about human teenagers' ways to interact, but he used to travel in space and had met lots of different races in his life. Even when several species lived on the same planet, individuals would rather mate with their own kind.

"You are attracted to her because it's in your genes." Vegeta stated after a moment.

 _Here we go_ , Trunks thought. _The Talk about teenagers and hormones..._ Clearing his head of such thoughts, Trunks spoke, "Dad, I'm not some kind of animal that would try to mate with the first female he sees just because of hormones, and I'm not attracted to her..."

"That's not what I'm talking about. You're not a human teenager. And that makes you even closer to an animal than they are."

"What do you mean?" Trunks started to feel offended. He was a half-Saiyan boy but that didn't mean he would act like some kind of monkey with women.

"Trunks, the girl is a Saiyan female. You like her because you and her share genetic material and your offspring would be decent warriors. That's how evolution works." Vegeta stated.

Trunks was appalled. How could he not have thought about this? What kind of people have black hair and a monkey tail? He had only ever heard about Saiyans as males and hadn't even considered the idea that the girl could be a Saiyan herself. He had just accepted she was different, just like that human with three eyes Goku sometimes talked about. It all made sense now.

"She said you told her you had a brother. You had met her before?" Trunks asked with interest.

"She came to the house last night when you were sleeping. I didn't know about her existence until then."

"Why did she come to us?" Trunks questioned, furrowing his eyebrows. To his surprise his Father didn't immediately answer his question. He seemed angry and embarrassed at the same time. Vegeta didn't actually know if Trunks needed to understand the whole truth. After a long moment, he slowly said:

"For the same reason you defended her an hour ago."

Trunks considered this answer for a while. His father had said he had done weird things because he shared DNA with the girl. So she came to find people like herself. Trunks thought it was quite logical to try and find the last of your people when only a few are left. He started to think about how life would be if she became a member of their group. Surely she would spend a lot of time with Goku and his father as they were all from the same planet. But then he thought about the kind of feelings he had toward the girl and he remembered Vegeta's words, "your offspring would be decent warriors"…

"She likes you, doesn't she?" Trunks suddenly realized.

"I wouldn't say that… "Vegeta said, seeing his son began to seize the situation.

"She likes you and you both could have full blooded Saiyan children!" Trunks exclaimed loudly. Now he understood. And he felt betrayed. He had always known his father regretted the loss of his race and now he had the opportunity to start a new one. His father could now have a Saiyan son that would look just like him and his father before him. A son with true Saiyan power and legitimacy. A son he would be proud of. He wouldn't be a decent child anymore with his purple hair, blue eyes and half human blood.

"Do you like her? What about Mom? What about me?" Trunks asked, bitterness and jealously seeping into his voice.

Vegeta was never comfortable with expressing his feelings, especially when he had absolutely no idea of what exactly he felt. Looking at his upset son, he couldn't see anything else to do but try to keep his family close-knit.

"Trunks, I'm not going to abandon you and your mother for a stranger. Also, one female individual isn't enough to start a new people. "

"But if it were only you would already be gone with her right!? Why didn't you tell mom you had already met the girl last night?" his son growled out.

That was a good question. Vegeta choose to believe he simply hadn't had the time to narrate his late-night encounter to his mate, and that he would obviously do it as soon as possible.

"This is between me and your mother. The only thing you need to know right now is that I'm not leaving this house, whatever the race of our guest. Also don't be a fool and leave the girl alone. We need to know more about her before we decide if she's trustworthy. " Vegeta replied evenly, gazing back at his son with his severe eyes.

Trunks was visibly not convinced in anyway by his answer, but Vegeta left the room quickly. It had been more complicated than he had thought and he didn't know how to deal with those mixed emotions. Despite what he had told his son, he knew that deep inside a part of him dreamed of a Saiyan child. He had never wanted children before Trunks, as so far it implied to mate with other species and no one beside the woman had proved to be a decent match. Also he used to believe he was no father material as he hadn't really had a father for long. But now, he knew that he was able to raise a boy and the problem of races was solved. In spite of his feelings for his family and his acceptance of the life on Earth, the idea of having black haired children began to look quite appealing for his inner self.


	4. Chapter 4

When he entered his bedroom after this strange day, Vegeta knew he would have to talk with his wife. The girl had been given a room as far as possible from Trunks' and Bulma's parents', but he constantly checked on her ki to make sure she wasn't planning something while they slept. Half of him expected Bulma to fall asleep quickly and deal with the situation tomorrow. Yet he knew she wasn't a fool.

Bulma was lying in bed in her night gown, facing him in the dark. She felt weirdly distant, as if something had changed between them.

"Vegeta? What did you mean earlier by "This is between her and me"?" She started.

He sat down on the bed, facing the wall and looking at the wooden floor. He decided to tell Bulma the whole truth, not being able to keep this weight on his chest anymore. Considering the way she had handled the events of the day, he thought she deserved to know the real intentions of the girl she had welcomed under her roof. He spoke in a whisper, keeping his head down.

"She came to the house yesterday at night while you were away. I believe she arrived on Earth with the space pod you found. She thought I was the last male Saiyan."

"That's all she told you?"

"She wants Saiyan children." He added reluctantly.

Bulma suddenly felt totally empty. If there was a thing she had never contemplated before was for Vegeta to secretly see another woman. She had always assumed he spent his days training or eating while she was working. She didn't even know how he could meet someone as he hardly ever went outside in public. Also he was no man to hide his intentions, and always openly did whatever he wanted without asking for her consent or fear for her reaction. That was clearly a first, and not a minor one. Bulma felt betrayed in every possible way. The way he had dealt with the situation was so unlike him she felt like for fourteen years she had known the wrong man. She had cared for him when everybody considered him as an enemy. She had trusted him and carried his child, ignoring his bloody past and violent behavior. She had given him everything she had to give. Since he had landed on Earth, her whole life had been revolving around him, and so far she thought he at least cared about her. However the simple apparition of the Saiyan girl had been enough to draw his attention away from her. What had taken Bulma a decade to achieve had been stolen by that woman in less than a day. At that moment, her heart was beating harder than ever, yet she was dead inside.

"Why didn't you tell me?" She eventually managed to say with a tight throat. "If I recall correctly the last time a Saiyan landed in my backyard he was nicely offered food and shelter, and was eventually so at ease that he decided to stay here…"

Vegeta remembered really well his arrival at the Capsule Corps house. He used to be wild and obsessed with power. The only thing he wanted back then was an opportunity to leave and take over the world. Had the girl showed up at that time of his life, he wouldn't have hesitated a second.

He recalled these days perfectly. Often at night he wondered how Bulma had eventually managed to" tame him", as she sometimes liked to say, knowing well it would make him cringe. Everything had happened before he even realized it. Since their first encounter on Namek he had known she was a beautiful woman, but living in her house had brought him more than he expected. He had discovered the most incredible liveliness in a woman. He had never thought a human could be so energetic, enthusiastic and joyful. Soon enough, he had realized he liked to have her around from time to time. While he would never publicly admit it, he felt like somehow her joie de vivre helped counterbalance his obsessive dark thoughts and everlasting bitterness. True, he wasn't ready when she had announced her pregnancy after only months of unstable relationship. He had left for a couple of weeks, not knowing what to do. Yet what mattered fourteen years later was that he had come back.

He was brought back from his memories by Bulma's fragile voice:

"I know it's going to change a lot of things but please take time to think before taking any decision. We can deal with it together…"

"I didn't tell you because I didn't know what to think of that myself. " He cut.

"I understand this is a surprising encounter and an unusual demand, but I think you should not judge her too quickly."

"Judge what? She is a Saiyan, that's all I need to know."

"So what are you dithering on?" She asked, disconcerted.

"This is not a usual human relationship issue, Bulma." He abruptly answered.

"Vegeta… What do you mean?" She said, leery.

"I mean I have to consider the fact that she is not a regular human woman."

"Are you telling me you actually consider giving her what she wants?" She said, raising her voice. She was appalled he dared being as franc as usual in such a difficult situation.

"The only thing I know is that this might well be the last female of my race, what would you do!?" He harshly asked as he stood from the bed to turn around and look at her. "This is not just about you and me, this is about my people's annihilation, my past, my life."

"Oh don't give me that talk!" Bulma answered angrily. "I know you are well aware you will not be able to revive the Saiyan race with that girl! For that matter we are not even sure she is a Saiyan!"

"Do you think I can't recognize people from my own race?" He growled.

"She could be only half Saiyan like Trunks! She looks very young, I don't see how she could have been born before your planet's destruction! And even if she were, how did she survive until today?"

"You can admit Kakarott survived on his own in the wood, and years later you didn't ask any questions when Tarble arrived out of nowhere, but accepting that a female is alive is too complicated?"

They were now fighting on a totally irrelevant subject. Bulma knew there was little to no chance for the female to be something else than a full-blooded Saiyan, and Vegeta was aware she was only trying to find something bad to judge her on, but they both needed to let out the tension that had built up during the day.

"You don't even know anything about her! You could at least wait for your family's and friends' opinion on her." Bulma added furiously.

"The decision is not for anybody else to take."

"Well, leave then!" She eventually screamed at him. "Sorry for being a regular human woman! If you don't care about your family anymore then you are not to stay in this house!"

He looked at her in the dark, knowing his next move would have serious consequences. Their eyes met and Bulma painfully held on, daring him to fly away. After a few seconds of dense silence, he reached for his boots and silently proceeded to put them on. As she realized what was happening, he walked to the balcony, gave her a last short glance over his shoulder, and eventually took off in the cloudy night.

Bulma didn't sleep that night. Her heart was hollow, but her brain was full of the worst worries. She had never really believed he would actually leave. He had done it a couple of times at the beginning of their relationship but never since Trunks' birth. Also he had always come back, but this time was different. This time someone was outside waiting for him.

Trunks also had a hard time with his thoughts that night. He was sleeping in one of the guest rooms as his own had been partially destroyed. In this new bed, he felt as if he had moved away from home, as if he was far away from his family. He resented the girl for trying to tear his family apart. Also he was bitter that she had revealed herself to be so wicked. He wished she had been nice and gentle, they would have welcomed her as a new member of the group and he would have been able to see her every day. As well, it was new for him to see his parents face such a situation. He had never considered them as two distinct individuals, they were his parents, and they were both only meant to be with each other. Besides, he really didn't think anybody else could stand any of them in a long-term relationship.

Somewhere around midnight, Trunks heard Vegeta's angry voice coming from their bedroom. It actually happened quite regularly as both of his parents had a strong temperament, although his own room was purposely quite far away from theirs. What was not usual however, was the sight of his Father flying away from the house in the middle of the night. That was enough for Trunk to be confused, but when he felt another strong ki leave the house a few minutes later, he actually started to worry. Jumping out of his bed, he ran in the corridors and climbed the stairs to the Saiyan girl's room. As he feared, he found the door ajar, the bed empty and the curtains flying through the wide open window. Only left were her fragrant smell and rumpled bed sheets.

Dismayed, he stood there for a moment before heading to his parents' bedroom.

"She is gone as well, isn't she?" Bulma asked absentmindedly, as he arrived in the doorway.

Trunks bit his lower lip and nodded to his Mother. He had never seen her in that state. She was on her bed in her dressing gown, huddled up on herself against her pillows. She held a tissue tight in her right hand and looked pensively through the window.

"I'm sorry Sweetie. I tried to convince him but… I can only give what I have." She gently said.

"I know Mom, this is not your fault." Trunks took a few steps to reach the window and look at the dark sky. "Looks like he really outdid himself on this one." He noted bitterly.

"Trunks, everything is not just black or white…"

"No, but Dad has always been kind of on the darker side, don't you think?"

"Maybe he has." Bulma admitted.

"Do you think he will come back?"

"I hope so, but I didn't think he would leave, I can't tell if he will return."

They remained silent for a while, considering the empty side of the bed where Vegeta had slept for fourteen years. After exchanging a few more words, Trunks gathered some clothes that lay on an oversized armchair on the other side of the room and went to grab a pillow and a blanket. He spent the rest of the night there, making sure his Mother was safe and got some rest despite everything.

Alone under the clouds, Vegeta flew the whole night and only stopped when he saw the sun rise above the horizon. He landed on the top of a mountain, where the cold wind and thick ice matched his feelings. He stood perfectly still, looking far away in front of him, finally able to think peacefully.

A short moment later however, he heard footsteps in the snow behind him. He didn't move, keeping his glance on the high peaks. He knew who was there. Her distinctive smell was carried by the breeze and her voice soon rose in the silence:

"You know, I almost believed you had actually turned down my offer..."


	5. Chapter 5

"Don't take anything for granted." Vegeta growled, still looking straight in front of him.

"What? You left, didn't you?" The Saiyan girl said as she casually sat down in the snow. She felt much more at ease now that she was alone with him and knew he had taken her side.

Vegeta remained silent. Yes he did, but was he really proud of it? He thought about Bulma. He had left her in a moment of anger and frustration. Seeing that his mate didn't understand the subtleties of his situation, he had preferred to fly away and deal with it as he wished. He knew the girl would follow him. Actually, he had even made sure she was behind him when he had left the town, not willing to let her alone with Bulma.

"Seriously", the girl carried on, interrupting his thoughts "what's keeping you here? The woman?"

"The boy is mine." He explained as he lowered his head.

"The boy with purple hair?" She said loudly.

"Yes. His name is Trunks. He is my son."

"Oh God, really? You laid with that crazy woman with blue hair and gave her a child? I thought you had found them somewhere and decided to marry the woman to stay in their house or something… I mean, he doesn't even have a tail!"

This time he turned back. He had to admit that Bulma sometimes was a little bit eccentric, but he would not allow anyone but himself to say she was crazy. Also his son sure didn't have any visible Saiyan's attributes, but he definitely had a remarkable power and outstanding fighting abilities. Although he had just left his family behind, he would not let her make fun of him about them. He was going to put the girl back in her place but to his great dismay she resumed her little speech with the same tone:

"I was told about Vegeta, the Prince of the Saiyans!" She said, waving her hands in the air. "You were supposed to be the strongest warrior of the universe, the one who would take over the world with no mercy and rule our people back to the golden age." She exclaimed with passion. "I've traveled for months to find the legend my Mother had been talking about since I was born, and what do I find? A regular man, with wife and children, I think I even smelled an old cat. If I had come earlier I would have found you outside, in your bathrobe and slippers, grabbing the morning paper, right?"

Vegeta tackled her on the ground in a single movement and held her down, her face inches from a sharp icicle. He felt his blood boil in his veins. He had left his wife and his son, he had put faith in this girl, he had even hoped for a better future for the Saiyan survivors. But there she was. The last female. Uneducated and smart-mouthed. She made his life seem awfully ordinary, and what hurt him the most, was that she was not completely wrong. Maybe that was what had urged him to leave the house the night before. He wanted to take the opportunity to be something else than a husband and a father. He missed the old days, when he trained to fight actual threats, when his power and strength actually mattered. He was ashamed to be mocked by another Saiyan for letting himself slide into a conventional human way of life. Looking at her with his dark eyes, he took his most serious and threatening voice to make sure he was being understood as he pushed her face on the icy ground:

"Here is how it will work from now on: next time you open your mouth it will be to answer my questions. If you say a word more than what's necessary or show again that attitude you just had I will prove you that I have no mercy at all. I don't know what you expected but let me remind you that you are very lucky to be still alive. You have already gone far beyond my usual tolerance limit and your race doesn't grant you any special treatment. "

After making sure to get a scared sign of approval from her, he let her sit and began to pace a few feet away. He stopped after a moment and took a deep breath before talking again:

"I'm Vegeta, Son of King Vegeta of Vegetasei and Prince of all Saiyans." He declaimed with a clear voice, facing the frosty wind. It had been a long time since he last had the occasion to say these words. They felt formal and outdated, as if they belonged to another era, another life maybe. "After the annihilation of my people by Frieza when I was a child, I was forced to work in his army for over twenty years. I ended up being stuck on Earth after his fall. Bulma offered me a place to live, and although I originally wanted to leave this planet as soon as possible, I eventually decided to stay. No need for me to draw you a picture." He added dryly when he saw her curious eyes. "After the destruction of our planet, only five Saiyans remained. All males. One of them, Kakarott, had already been living on Earth for years. He was one of the babies sent away from Vegetasei with a space pod after their birth because they were considered too weak to fight. I guess the detection system had its failures." He muttered for himself. "He still lives here with his human wife and half-blooded children. Two Saiyans soldiers who had survived Vegetasei's destruction worked with me in Frieza's army. They died when we first arrived on Earth. One of them was Kakarott's brother. My own brother lives on a remote planet with his wife. That's what our civilization has been reduced to." He concluded, his voice fading as he pronounced the last words.

She could hear regrets in his words. Rage also, but sadness and disappointment over all. She now realized he was not just a man, not even just a Saiyan. He was a fallen Prince that mourned his people's death since before she was even born.

"Now tell me, how did you survive?"He said with a severe tone.

"I don't remember Vegetasei's destruction because I wasn't born yet." She declared. "I grew up on a small asteroid in its neighborhood. A lot of poor planets in the area used to export dietary products to the Saiyans in exchange for their protection, you know."

Vegeta silently nodded. Saiyans needed colossal amounts of food daily and were definitely not known for their farming abilities. He briefly remembered watching Kakarott try to explain his harpy wife he wanted to train instead of harvesting radishes, and signified the girl to keep talking. She explained further:

"My Mother was supervising a shipping operation on Sperks when Vegetasei exploded. Most of the other planets around were also destroyed by the blast but this one was one of the farthest neighbors."

"Then your father was not a Saiyan…"

"When Sperks' inhabitants discovered that my Mother was pregnant," she immediately pursued, "they agreed to take care of her and welcomed her as one of them. That's how I was brought into this world. Although we obviously adapted ourselves to the life on this planet, my Mother told me everything she remembered about the Saiyan culture and society. She kept saying that the heir to the throne had survived and that we had to find him. However we weren't completely sure you were still alive and she did not want our heritage to get lost, she wrote most of her memories in small notebooks that I liked to read when I was younger. "

"That would make you 43 years old." He cut, unbelieving.

"Yes it would. "

"You don't even look 20."

"Looks like you spent too much time among humans… None of them would believe that you are actually close to fifty. According to my Mother, females remain physically young longer than men to be able to carry more children."

He shrugged but had nothing to add. She was about as old as Kakarott and he had been looking twenty-one for the past twenty years. Of course his usual childish behavior highly contributed to the illusion, but no one could deny his body was still incredibly young.

"Why didn't you come sooner? And why alone?" Vegeta asked, suspicious.

"This is a long journey to make. Only the Saiyan pod my Mother had used to come on the planet could transport someone so far, and as you know, these are single person sized. Also the planet we live on is very poor, we lacked technology and we have had difficulties gathering what was necessary for the trip."

"How did you find me?"

"I was told about the "C" logo that is everywhere on your house. Someone had seen it on a spacecraft several years ago. With you and your son in that place, there is no way I could not sense your energy. "

"Can you fight?" he inquired, interested. If she was able to feel ki without a scouter, she might have a certain control over her own energy.

"I know the basics but I have never really had a serious opponent. Sperks' inhabitants are humanoids growers, they couldn't defend themselves at ten against a saibaimen. My Mother taught me what she knew but she never actually allowed herself to beat up her only child."

A small smirk appeared on Vegeta's lips. He was still fired up by her previous insolent behavior and would gladly give her a decent fight, as she asked for it so politely. Also it would give him a good notion of what she was capable of. He took off in the sky, inviting her to do the same. She understood what he expected and joined him, always ready for a new experience with her Prince.

Vegeta had never had the occasion to fight with a Saiyan woman. Eighteen sure had her own combat techniques, yet it was nowhere near the girl's style. He was clearly holding back his kicks, but she was defending herself proudly. She was fierce and perceptive, swift and precise, graceful even. As the time passed, the fight became more interesting. Vegeta soon thought he had seen everything she could do, but she kept changing her moves according to his, dodging his attacks if he used them twice, even sometimes trying to copy his offensives. Vegeta was thrilled. Watching her give her first real fight was like seeing a child walk for the first time. It had been a while since he had last had a new opponent. He would fight against Kakarott, Piccolo or Gohan regularly, but he knew them for so long he could foresee the end of the fight before it even started. This girl, she was unpredictable.

Elery also had the time of her life. She was relieved they had eventually found a common interest and she had to admit it was not unpleasant to see him fight. She could feel how powerful he was, and it was astounding. She was now able to see what she had been looking for. Strong and dignified, he showed his true worth through the battle. He was clearly in his element, and she loved to see it.

They fought for a long time before Vegeta decided to end it, sending her crash on the icy ground. He landed at her side and before she realized it, he caught her tail firmly in his left hand. If her cheeks hadn't already been red from the fight they would have turned deep crimson.

"Let me go" she growled, unable to move.

"Although I do regret the loss of my own tail, I have to say this is an inconvenience that I like to avoid." He said, amused.

"Please…"

She felt really awkward at this sudden contact and wasn't comfortable lying powerless on the ground, not now that she knew how strong he could be.

"I want to make sure you listen to me, I will let you go. Eventually."

"I'm all ears, you monkey." She muttered.

"See, that's what I'm talking about."

The spar had softened up the atmosphere. They were both exhausted, Vegeta was less susceptible and she was more likely to keep her mouth shut, especially when he began to show her interest.

"You can't keep quiet for a second but you might make a decent fighter." He declared. "We will train, and if I judge that you are worth my time we will talk again about your future options. Now you'd better fly and find a place to sleep, you will freeze to death if you stay here. Meet me at sunrise tomorrow." He said as he released her tail.

"Where are you sleeping?" She eagerly asked.

"That's none of your business."

"I thought we could stay together…"She attempted, motivated by his casual behavior.

He let out a dark chuckle.

"What a vulgar woman." He muttered under his breath before taking off, leaving her alone with her thoughts.

Elery lay on the ground long after his last words, looking at the white sky. The day that had just passed left her deeply confused. Her Prince had finally decided to take her side but he didn't seem ready to leave the planet with her. Also, she had to admit that she had had a great time fighting with another Saiyan and would gladly try again in the following days. She remembered what he had told her about his life on Earth. She hadn't realized that he had actually settled down and had a well organized life. Looking back at it, it made sense. According to his story he had been living on Earth for over fifteen years, it was entirely logical for him to eventually develop relationships and habits. She had been told about a legend and had expected to meet some kind of leading God, unaffected by the passing of time. She had forgotten he was above all a man.

Vegeta felt awfully exhausted when he found a place to spend the night. It at been a while since he had opened up to someone about his past, even not going into details. He was drained by the stress of the night and the day. Fighting against the girl had been surprisingly pleasant and he was unable to know what to think about her. He wanted to give it a try, see how powerful she could be, he was even curious to see her planet and her Mother. He felt like they were all from another age, as if his past had come for him. Talking about Vegetasei and his lost race had reminded him of how great it would be to ensure the survival of his species. Actually conversing with the Saiyan female had made his dream look so close and so real he couldn't think about anything else anymore. He knew he would soon have to clarify his position and take decisions. As he lay down for the night, his mind was filled with doubts and apprehension about the future. Somehow, when he fell asleep, a weird image occupied his thoughts. The sight of a woman with a tail. A bright blue tail.


	6. Chapter 6

A month had passed since Vegeta's takeoff. Life at the Capsule Corps' house was slow and quiet. Trunks spent a lot of his time at the Son's house after school to avoid being alone at home while his Mother was working. His Grandparents had been subtle enough not to make any comment about Vegeta being missing. Everybody had silently carried on their usual activities, somehow hoping that the uneasy feeling would fade away with time.

Bulma had worked a lot for a few days after that night, to keep her mind busy. Her sadness had slowly let room for resentment and anger. She wanted to progress on her professional projects to try and move on, but nothing went the way she wished.

For the past two weeks yet she had seemed very tired and did only what she couldn't avoid to do for her corporation. She spent less time in her office and worked on her computer from the couch, which was very unusual as she loved the tranquility of her laboratory. She had been heard turning down offers to go out with friends during the weekend for no particular reason and she was somehow more withdrawn than she used to. Trunks even suspected she was sick. Contrary to her habits, she now stayed in her room late in the morning, hardly ever ate with the other members of the family, and one day she even felt so dizzy Trunks had to carry her to her bed. She assured him that she was fine, and just had trouble sleeping at night, but he was afraid that she was actually letting herself go and that she had stopped caring about her own health. He felt like his father's departure had had a deeper impact than he had thought in the first place. His mother looked drained. He tried to help her and distract her but she always looked preoccupied by something. He wanted to talk with her but she kept telling him that she was not ill at all and that he needed to stop worrying. Her parents also had noted she wasn't feeling well and her mother had tried several times to get into her bedroom, always in vain. She refused to see a doctor, stating that she just felt a little bit weak, that she would maybe get a couple of days off work and feel better soon.

However, things kept getting worst as the days passed, and Bulma sometimes spent all her day in her bedroom. Trunks had originally thought that she was badly depressed after Vegeta's abandon, but he started to believe she was actually developing a disease. He decided he would force her to see a doctor if she wasn't in a better shape by the end of the week.

Sadly he didn't need to wait that long. Two days later the principal of his school interrupted his morning class to see him in his office. His mother had been found lying unconscious in her laboratory by his grandfather, and was now in the hospital. He arrived there quicker than a human could have, but luckily and to his great relief Bulma was recovering fine. His grand-parents were taking care of her in her hospital room and she was to be sent home in two days, as a precautionary measure. She had apparently been talking with the medical experts and her parents and, although she was now under good care, her mother seemed even more worried than before. Her medical crew had been carefully chosen and the Briefs' had made sure no one would know that the Head of Capsule Corp was currently in the hospital. Trunks stayed by her side for a couple of hours, making sure she was actually alright. The doctors didn't agree to tell him much, to his vast frustration. According to them it was a common occurrence to feel weakened after such an important psychological shock.

"Will she get better soon?" Trunks asked, worried.

"Well, it usually gets better after a few months, her case is definitely particular but we will have her see a psychotherapist. I think she will make it fine, she knows what to expect." The doctor explained.

"What can I do to help her recover?" He inquired.

"She will need her whole family's attention and care. We can't do much more for her."

Trunks couldn't take it anymore. He had had enough watching his mother get weaker and weaker. He wanted to have her back in her normal state. He wished none of this had happened. If she needed her whole family's care, she would have it all.

After kissing his Mother goodbye and making sure she was well looked after, he flew back home and gathered some of his stuffs in a small backpack. Before leaving the house he left a short note on his grandfather's desk:

"She needs him back."

Trunks had genuinely no idea of where his father was or what he was up to at that moment, but he had the intuition he had not left the Earth yet. He flew high in the sky, scanning the towns for a high energy, probing the landscapes for signs of Saiyans' damages, smelling the air hoping to find a familiar scent. He eventually reached remote regions, where he knew Vegeta liked to train alone. He spent a night and a day flying around, inspecting forests and caves, sounding lakes and oceans, and he didn't find a living soul. Exhausted after over 24 hours of active search without sleep, he landed near an old volcanic crater and began to wonder if Vegeta was actually still on the planet. How could he come back home and tell his Mother he hadn't been able to find the slightest sign of his Father when she was already so frail? He sat on a rock and covered his face with his hands, slowly sinking into despair. He was almost sure he wouldn't be enough of a family for Bulma to get better, and that thought killed him. It was already hard to see his mother suffer, but knowing it had been caused by his father gave it a particularly painful tint.

"You still have got a lot to learn about stealth." A rough voice behind him said.

Trunks lifted his head, he couldn't believe what he was hearing.

"Where have you been?" He said bitterly without turning his head.

"That is none of your business."

Trunks was already furious against his father for letting them down, but now that he saw him stand proudly in front of him while his wife was slowly dying from solitude, he had to let it out. With all his rage, he raced toward Vegeta aiming his head with his fists. However he was drained by his quest and numbed by his feelings, and his father didn't have any difficulties to fend off his kicks.

Vegeta had caught sight of Trunks a couple of hours before. He wondered why his son had finally decided to search for him after a month, especially to try and beat him up. After not seeing any sign from his family in the days following his escape, Vegeta had concluded that they would leave him alone and pursue their life without him. True he had hoped to be missed, and had wondered if they would try and look for him, but he quickly had been caught by his training with Elery and time had flown by without him noticing.

"I have been watching you fly around for a while now. There is no way you would have found me that way." He said as he sent his son crash on the ground to end his attack.

"So what?" Trunks spat, his knees in the black dust of the soil. He had never dared raise his voice to talk to his father, but he wasn't really sure to acknowledge as such the man standing in front of him. "You would have been proudly hiding in a cave with another woman while Mom is dying?"

"Bulma is dying?" Vegeta asked, suddenly dropping his proud face.

"Pretty much yes! She has been freaking ill since you left!" Trunks cried out. "She doesn't sleep, she doesn't eat properly, she stays in her room for days because she is too weak to go out! "

Vegeta remained silent as he watched his fourteen years old son fall apart. He realized how much older Trunks looked than when he had left. His face was still young and yet already marked by the stress. His eyes, which used to be bright and joyful, were deep and serious. He didn't look like a child anymore.

"What's happening to her?" Vegeta asked, dreading the answer.

"I don't know!" Trunks shouted back. "She has been admitted to the ER yesterday after she passed out in her lab, and that's all because of you!"

Vegeta was appalled. He had always tried to convince himself that Bulma was a strong woman who would pursue her life as she intended to. She had a lot of friends, a great career, and he had never imagined that she would simply let herself go, especially because of him. Also, he had somehow assumed that he would know if something was wrong with her, he thought he would have been aware of her not going well before she would need to go to the ER. Then again, he had to be honest with himself. He had spent the past weeks sparring and flying around with Elery. She was an attentive student and they had become rather close after a while. It would be lying to say that he had tried to keep up with the news from his family. He felt like he was being interrupted in the middle of his great project. He had tried to literally fly away from his responsibilities, but he had also forgotten he couldn't live like that forever.

"Where is she now?" He eventually asked.

"Room 307 of the Central Hospital." Trunks blurted out. "What are you going to do? Pay her a casual visit, give her flowers, make sure she gets some sleep and fly away again?"

Vegeta hadn't really thought about a plan or anything. He knew it wouldn't be easy to come back considering to way he had left her. Yet he had never wanted to be responsible for her death, even if it was out of self-neglect.

"You didn't think about anybody else when you left, didn't you?" Trunks added sharply, kicking in a rock. However when he turned over he realized he was now alone. His father was already gone. He let out a growl of rage that resonated miles away and fell back on his knees, overwhelmed by his exhaustion and resentment.

Vegeta flew right to the hospital, not really sure of what he would say, but determined to check on Bulma's health, even if she kicked him out afterwards. Somehow, the month he had passed away from her didn't matter anymore. He ran in the aseptic corridors to the room 307, but only found a care assistant making the bed. Bulma's smell was still there but the room was being prepared for another patient. He tried to find her ki in the building but it didn't help him. The hospital was filled with hundreds of people running everywhere and in his haste he wasn't able to distinguish all the weak kis of the patients among those of the nurses and visitors. He stood in the doorway for a second and then headed to the reception where he brutally asked if Bulma Brief had been sent home. The receptionist was shaking when she checked her computer's data:

"Mrs. Brief has been admitted yesterday morning and placed in room 307..." She read on the screen.

"She's not in there anymore!"

"She isn't? I… I don't know this must be new, I didn't get any information about a leave or a transfer…"

"Are you telling me that you have lost a patient? My ill wife has been placed under your care and you don't know where she is?"

"I know I know I'm sorry! I-it's just not in the computer yet, please stop yelling at me I can't do anything about it. I'm just here to welcome the patients" She said very quickly, almost crying.

Vegeta let out a frustrated growl and headed to the exit, ready to go home. That's when he heard a voice coming from the corridor on the right:

"Mr. Brief?"

He turned his head and saw the care assistant that was previously in Bulma's last room.

"What do you want?"

"Mrs. Brief is still in the hospital, she was transferred to another room an hour ago for complementary exams. It's not updated on the planning yet." She explained.

"Where?" He insisted impatiently.

"She is now in room 506. Take the elevator to the fifth floor and turn right, you will be there. Congratulations."

Vegeta didn't really pay attention to her last words, at least not until he saw the plan on the wall next to the elevator. He suddenly felt weak in the knees and read the last line again with wide eyes:

"5th Floor – Maternity service"


	7. Chapter 7

Vegeta felt an incredible lot of emotions at the same time. He was deeply shocked and actually terrified by what he had just discovered, but also ashamed for realizing it so late and guilty for letting his wife go through this alone. He was suddenly overwhelmed by the situation and couldn't think clearly anymore. He recalled the time he had spent with Elery and how close he was now to discuss with her about the future of their race. But then he remembered why he was there in the hospital. To his great surprise, he realized he felt yet another emotion, one he hardly even recognized. Somewhere in his heart, deep under hundreds of layers of worry and panic, doubt, rage and apprehension, a hint of pure joy was breaking through.

He climbed the five floors at an unusually high speed and soon found himself in front of the door of the 506th room. Before he could knock however, M. Brief came up to him and put a hand on his shoulder.

"I would think about it twice if I were you, son."

He didn't seem angry or resentful. He spoke with a soft voice, a cup of hot coffee in his left hand.

"How is she?" Vegeta asked, still looking at the door.

"She is getting better, thanks to the medical team. I think she is having a nap, she needs it." He made a pause and talked with concern. "Bulma is strong, but she can only take so much. I think she almost managed to overcome your loss last month but the circumstances have changed and I don't think she has enough energy or will to face another abandon."

"Say what you have to say, old man." Vegeta said, irritated. Now was not a time to have a moral lecture.

"Well," Mr. Brief said with a small shrug, "if you enter this room, be sure never to leave her again."

"What do you mean?"

"I know you understand that I care for my daughter. I want to spare her another strain on her life."

"Do you want me to leave and stay out of her life?" Vegeta asked. His voice was harsh, but it was a genuine question. While he really wanted to see Bulma, he understood that the best choice for her might be to leave and make sure never to hurt her again.

"No." Mr. Brief answered, shaking his head slowly. "She would feel much better with you at her side, and I only want her happiness. But remember, she is not as tough as she thinks she is."

M. Brief then gave him a small pat on the back and left him alone in front of the door. Vegeta twitched at the contact but he couldn't get mad at the old man. He had been taking care of Bulma while he was himself totally ignoring her. Now he was here and he could sense her behind the door. No wonder he hadn't been able to find her energy in the hospital. Her ki had slightly changed. It was weak and frail, but somehow brighter than usual. Just like fourteen years ago.

Vegeta stood there for a long time. He had acted impulsively and decided to show up out of the blue, hoping for the best. In an ideal world, Bulma would forgive him and agree to take him back. But that would obviously mean he would have to renounce to his great Saiyan dream. In a moment of dismay he had wanted to see her immediately but now he realized he couldn't just do whatever his heart told him to do. He couldn't just confess his attachment to his wife, and then go live his destiny with another woman. He had to choose. He had to decide what his future life would look like. His inner voice told him that he already knew what he wanted as he was a couple of meters away from Bulma when he could have stayed in the mountains with Elery, but he couldn't simply renounce to his project. He felt like if he let the girl go away he would regret it every single day in his life.

He suddenly became aware of the surrounding sounds of the service. He could hear the nurses run in the corridors, the beeps of the medical devices, the voices of the visitors in the next room and, far away, the cry of a newborn. He realized he had to take care of something happening in the present, and he couldn't imagine being anywhere else right now than in this room.

Vegeta knocked softly but he knew she was sleeping. He opened the door silently and entered the room. Bulma was comfortably seated in a bunch of pillows and blankets. Her eyes were closed and her breathing was soft. She looked appeased. He sat in a chair that was beside her bed and remained silent for a couple of minutes. He realized he had been missing this sight and caught himself wondering why he had left in the first place. He knew she needed to rest and couldn't bring himself to wake her up. He felt like he could have watched her sleep for years.

Bulma eventually changed position under her blankets and opened her eyes slightly. She blinked a couple of times and, seeing a dark silhouette in the chair beside her bed, she jumped back against her pillows and brought a hand to her neck. Still alarmed by the unexpected presence in her room, she managed to identify her guest and her face changed immediately. Bulma's hand flew forward and she slapped the intruder across the face with all the strength she had left. Vegeta could have dodged it easily but he didn't move an inch.

"Why are you here?" She suspiciously asked, not wanting to build up any fake hopes. She now sat upright in her bed but she was still shaking from the shock and she held the sheet up to her neck in a protective way.

"I heard you were badly ill." Vegeta stated calmly.

"Oh well, if that's what made you come back you can leave, I'm under good care." She spat bitterly.

"Were you going to tell me about it?"He inquired.

"Tell you what?"

"Bulma, I know you're pregnant."

"Why do you care?" She dryly said, shifting position to look at the opposite wall.

Her words hurt Vegeta deeper than he would have thought. He hadn't realized how heartless he looked to the eyes of his family. His own wife genuinely doubted he cared about her bearing his child. She actually believed he could have decided to ignore her and never bother to see his offspring. They thought he had no feelings at all.

"I don't know, but I do." He simply answered, unable to say more.

"Sure, and how long? Will you still care tomorrow? Will you still be there in a month or two? What about in eight months? How can I trust you on this one?"

He tried to find a decent answer but had to remain silent.

"That's right I can't! I'm tired of your shit Vegeta! You want to rule the universe but you can't even be a decent husband for your human wife!"

"I will stay." He declared quietly.

"Yeah keep making fake promises and see if I care."She said with disdain. "You left me alone with our fourteen-year-old half Saiyan son for a month, be sure I won't forget that!"

"Look…"

"What? You've changed? You've decided to stay? I have had enough! You've been gone and back again too many times now, I don't deserve this Vegeta, go away!"

"I want to stay and see my child!" He finally shouted over her voice, getting up from his chair.

Bulma suddenly went silent. She was not ready for such a confession. She knew he had never wanted to have Trunks before he was actually born, and did not expect more interest for a second baby. In fact, she didn't recall hearing Vegeta express the will to be an active part of the family. He had been there, but always because he somehow had to or couldn't decently avoid it. Over the years he had become a little bit closer to his son but Bulma knew it came from the hours they spent hitting each other in the gravity room. Dismayed, she stopped screaming and watched him stand before the chair. He was looking at her in the eyes, daring her to ask him to leave again.

"What about her?" She asked after holding his glance for a few seconds. They both knew who she was talking about.

"I will find how to deal with her, but she is not my first concern." He stated.

"You can't forget about her forever."

"If that's what it takes for me to stay then I will." Vegeta said seriously.

Bulma knew what a huge sacrifice he was making. He didn't let anything show through but she could feel how tense he was. After all these years he finally had the opportunity he had been waiting for, and he was turning it down for her.

"You can't do that. I know it's too important for you."

"Bulma, the most important thing for me right now is here in this room." He stated, increasing her incredulity.

"Would you have come back if I was not pregnant?" she asked, uncertain.

"I didn't know you were."

"How did you know I was here?"

"Trunks told me."

"He found you?" She asked with surprise. Trunks had had a terrible time since this father's abandon, but he had never expressed the will to try and bring him back himself.

"He did." Vegeta said with a hint of pride. "He thought you were dying. Why didn't you tell him you were pregnant?"

Bulma remained silent for a few seconds, and eventually spoke with a frail voice:

"I didn't tell anybody when I first found out about it because…" She looked away and bit her lower lip. "Because I wasn't sure I would keep it." She eventually admitted as she started to cry.

"Why?"

"Why?" She repeated, breaking down in tears. "I didn't want do to this alone! I didn't even think I could do it, it's already taking up all the energy I have. With you away, I didn't know how I would be able to carry and raise this baby. You should have seen Trunks after you left. He was so lonely… I didn't want have another child live through this."

Vegeta didn't say a word. The idea that he could have never heard about his second child gave him chills. He had not realized how difficult it was for Bulma, and never believed she felt so desperate she would have been ready to terminate her pregnancy.

"…But I never managed to bring myself to actually do it." She pursued after wiping a tear. "When I felt the first symptoms a week after you left, it was just like when I had Trunks, and I remembered I wasn't carrying a regular baby. It reminded me of you."

"Why does it make you so sick?"He inquired, trying to ignore how uncomfortable he was.

"The human body is not designed to bear a Saiyan baby. It is possible but complicated. You missed the first weeks when I was pregnant with Trunks, but this is how it started."

Vegeta felt like every word she said made him feel even worst. Guilt and compassion were not feelings he was used to. He could handle physical pain, and he was familiar with rage and anger, but these were new to him. Despite everything, she was always the stronger of them both. He stood up and walked to the window, unable to face her.

"How long before you can come home?" He eventually asked.

"We've had some troubles with the first medical crew. When they realized I was pregnant, they ran several tests and considering the unusual results they advised me to get an abortion. My dad managed to join the doctor that had followed Chichi and me during our first pregnancies, he is retiring but we are waiting for his crew to arrive. I think they should let me leave tomorrow."

"And then?"

"Then I will start eating as much as you do and hopefully the baby will grow healthy and strong." She said with a tired smile.

Vegeta took a deep breath. It was the first time she said something casual since he had entered the room. He sat back on his chair and looked at her blue eyes:

"It will."

They remained silent for a while, considering how long it had been since they had last spent some time together. None of them said a thing but they both knew they were in for a new challenge.

The second medical crew arrived in the late afternoon. The old doctor was quite surprised to see Vegeta but he remembered to avoid any comment. Ever since he had seen a human woman give birth to a baby with a monkey tail decades ago he had learned to keep his mouth shut. Bulma's parents came in as well as he was asking her the first questions and, seeing too many persons in the room, Vegeta decided it was time for him to deal with his mistakes.

"I will be back before midnight." He said as Bulma watched him leave the room with worried eyes. As he crossed the door, she called him:

"Vegeta? Please don't tell Trunks. I… I need to tell him myself, he deserves it."

Vegeta nodded briefly and closed the door behind him. He had to go back and find Elery before she would decide what to do on her own. She tended to have a very personal concept of what she could do when they were not together and he already had had stop her crazy plans several times. Also he knew needed to talk to his son, and that was clearly not going to be the easiest part. Leaving the hospital, he flew directly toward the mountains, hoping to find the Saiyan girl as soon as possible.

Trunks woke up in what seemed like the early evening. He had remained alone for several hours, lying half-conscious in the black dust, too tired to go back home. He was still dazed by his encounter with his father, yet relieved to know that his mother wasn't alone anymore. He realized how hard it had been to be the man of the family for a month, especially since Bulma was sick. Now Vegeta was back and he was not the only one in charge of her well-being anymore.

He remembered he was far away from home and felt awfully hungry, he decided to head back. As he stood up and dusted his clothes to take off however, he noticed someone watching him a few feet away. He first thought confusedly that Vegeta was back but then he smelled it. The fierce and familiar scent of the Saiyan girl. She was there, leaning against a rock just like his father would do. She looked just as he remembered her, wild and captivating. He wanted to tell her to go away, to leave him alone, but no sound came out of his mouth. He felt awfully betrayed. How could such an attractive girl be so evil? He resented her for everything that had happened since she had landed on his balcony. He loathed himself for not killing her that first time they had met. It would have spared his mother so much trouble.

Seeing no reaction from him, Elery took a few steps forward and started to talk with a sugary voice:

"Long time no see, Trunks."

"You… My father…"He growled, shaking with rage.

"Your father is quite a handful. I thought I would never get him to trust me."

"He does not trust you!"

"Oh really? He seemed to appreciate to finally meet a woman that could handle him." She said casually.

"You will never take him away from my mother."

"Looks like it's already too late to me… Didn't you say she was dying? What an unfortunate timing."She said with an exaggerated pout.

"She will make it! She is stronger than you think." He knew he was more trying to convince himself than anything.

"Well even if you are right, I will just have to wait until she grows old like the pathetic human she is… She might actually be dead before I see my first wrinkle. I guess Vegeta will need company. I can be very patient you know."

"HOW DARE YOU!?" Trunks screamed as he raced to hit her. She dodged the attack and fought back. He was drained and she tried to take advantage of it. They took off and he landed several punches that would have killed any human. She managed to kick him a few times as well but it wasn't as effective as she would have liked, and she started sending ki attacks. She formed balls of blue light in each of her palms and threw them frantically to her opponent. Trunks dodged the threat easily and, flying higher, he began a series of complicated geometric movements with his hands, eventually joining his thumbs and index fingers to produce a destructive ball of energy. Elery felt the burn at her side but managed to move out of the way quickly enough to stay alive. When she turned back with her white hot hand extended in front of her, she realized Trunks was doing the same and their attacks collided halfway between them, creating a shock wave that sent each of them crash on the ground.

"We have had the same master, this fight isn't going anywhere." She said as she wiped some mud off her face.

Trunks stood up with a mad smirk and laughed darkly. True, there was no point in fighting longer when he could end the problem right now.

"You have been training with my father for a month" he claimed as he took off and opened his arms wide, "I have been training with him my whole life!"

She quickly realized he was gathering an incredible amount of energy but it was too late to run away. She brought a hand to her face to protect her eyes from the blinding light that surrounded him and crawled back to avoid one of the lightnings that hit the ground a few inches from her.

Trunks joined his hands in front of him. He could feel his rage run through his veins and power boil in his blood. It was even more pleasant as he came closer to releasing it. With a wicked grin, he looked at the attractive Saiyan girl for a last time and shouted:

"FINAL FLASH!"


	8. Chapter 8

Elery saw a bright flash of light and was so violently blown away by the shockwave that she passed out before hitting the ground. Sensing the large amount of energy Trunks was developing, Vegeta had flown right in their direction. He was still more than a mile away when he realized what was going on. Trunks was young, but incredibly powerful. Vegeta had never admitted it out loud, but he was always genuinely impressed by his son's talent to control his ki and he knew he could gather an enormous amount of power when he wanted to. The full final flash would easily blow up half of the planet if it were to hit the ground. In the urge of the situation, Vegeta did the only thing that came to his mind. Extending his arm in front of him, he aimed at the source of the light, and sent a small ki blast.

In a massive explosion, Trunks released his final flash and got hit in the chest by his father's blue light beam. Distracted by the attack, he lost his focus and found himself overwhelmed by his own power. Instead of concentrating it in his hands in front of him, he brutally let it overflow around him uncontrolled. He opened wide scared eyes when he suddenly felt his energy escape his body at an alarming rate, and realized with horror that he was unable to stop it. In a moment of true panic, he remembered Saiyans could literally die when releasing the full extent of their ki. Just thinking about it was terrifying, his vital power was still painfully leaking out and he was nowhere near to control it. He felt like he was being killed by his own attack. He had already died when he was younger, but not that way. The light beam had hit him from the side and after a chaotic fall across the battlefield, he violently crashed on the rocky ground a few hundreds feet away. The blinding light that surrounded him disappeared, his ki vanished in the dust and the scene went silent.

Vegeta stopped in the air and looked at the two bodies lying in front of him. The girl was still alive, she was weaker than her opponent, but she had also not taken the full blow and had avoided the most serious damages. Trunks however gave no sign of life. His body laid on a sharp rock, he was physically there but his energy was gone. Vegeta closed his eyes and emptied his mind, refusing to admit that he couldn't sense anything beside the girl's ki. He rushed to the ground and landed near Trunks, whose body was grossly broken and distorted. Kneeling at his side and furrowing his brows, he placed his hands on his son's chest. He knew his time was counted and focused on what he was doing. Slowly, he transferred his energy to the inanimate body and began a methodic cardiac massage.

"This is not how you die..." Vegeta muttered between his clenched teeth. He had killed a lot of people in his life and had for long accepted the idea of being forever damned in the afterlife, but he wouldn't add the murder of his own son to the list of his crimes. After all these years, he knew he could not live with that. He started sending small electric shocks and kept sharing larger and larger amounts of his energy, trying not to lose hope as the seconds passed.

After the most excruciating minute of his life, Vegeta suddenly stopped moving and listened carefully. A second later he heard it again and let himself fall back on the ground with a sigh of relief. Trunks' heartbeat was slow and irregular, but it was there.

Looking at the darkening sky, Vegeta knew he had to act quickly. He didn't like to live the Saiyan girl alone, but looking back at his son in knew he wouldn't last long without further help. Several of Trunks' bones were broken and blood poured from the many cuts and scratches he wore on his arms and legs. His breathing was frail and rough, the skin showing under his torn shirt was getting dark purple and his right side was burned black.

Vegeta stood up, walked to the other Saiyan and sent two energy rings, handcuffing her ankle and her wrist to a boulder wall. He then went back, carefully picked up his son's crushed body and flew straight up to the Lookout.

As he expected, Dende was waiting for him and began his healing magic as soon as he laid Trunks in front of him. Vegeta waited impatiently, pacing behind them. He was definitely not over what had just happened. This was not how things were supposed to go. He had not wanted his family to suffer from his choices and yet he had left his wife alone and had just almost killed his son. To top it off he still didn't know how to deal with his Saiyan guest. He wished he could just talk her into going back from where she was from, but even if he could, he would need to ask Bulma to build her a space ship. It would imply several weeks of work and he did not want to ask her that in her current state. Besides, he was convinced he wouldn't get rid of the girl so easily, and he dreaded to have both women live next to each other, even only for a few weeks.

"Vegeta?" Dende asked, interrupting his flow of worried thoughts. "I've done everything I could."

"Why isn't he awake?" he inquired when he saw Trunks was still unconscious. His ki was back and his heart was beating steadily, but he was still out.

"I've healed his physical injuries but he is weak and his mind is troubled, he will need time before regaining consciousness."

"Time?"

"A few hours, maybe a couple of days. Considering what he went through today and over the past month we can be glad he has Saiyan blood, a human would never have survived."

"I don't have a couple of days!" Vegeta spat, irritated. "Are you sure you have done everything you can?" he added as he came threateningly close.

"Everything. I wish I could do more but my power has its limits."

Vegeta let out a frustrated growl.

"What am I supposed to tell his mother!?"

"Your situation is complicated but I'm sure Bulma can handle it with your help."

"With my help!? Do you want me to go and tell my pregnant wife that I almost killed our teenage son but that's fine, I'll be there for her? Don't you think I've already enough fucked up her life? " He shouted as he grabbed Dende by the collar and lifted him up.

"Please put me down, we have to take care of Trunks, he needs to rest." The little God said with a shaking voice. It was not the first time he faced the Prince's anger, and he knew it was his way to deal with most of the uneasy situations.

Vegeta glared at him but eventually let him go. They took Trunks to one of the bedrooms and Dende had a few words with Mr. Popo. As they came out of the room, the young Namekian saw Vegeta was still severely preoccupied.

"Why don't we go for a walk?" he offered quietly.

"Do I look like I want to go for a walk?" Vegeta answered with a dark look. "If you don't have anything less stupid to say I'm leaving, I told Bulma I'd be back before midnight. I will come back tomorrow, take care of Trunks."

"Vegeta wait! You have all the time you need here!" Dende exclaimed.

"I can't go back into this room" he answered knowingly, "I've already used my two days."

"You are with me, I make the rules." The green God simply stated.

Vegeta hesitated, but he knew he would only be in the Room of Spirit and Time for a few minutes in Bulma and Trunks' timeline. After a few seconds and with a frustrated shrug, he decided to give a chance to the young Namekian. He owed him his son's life after all, and with the time distortion the little discussion would virtually not exist. Besides, things could hardly get worse. Uncertain, he held the heavy door to the Hyperbolic Time Chamber and entered the oppressing atmosphere.

"I can't really do my work as I usually do it with you." Dende casually stated.

"What do you mean?"

"Well, every day I make sure things are fine on Earth. I try to balance out the events so that every human lives rather peacefully. It's not as easy as it seems, I can't just grant everyone's prayers or I would generate a true chaos. But sometimes, when it seems reasonable enough and after considering the possible consequences, I can slightly change someone's fate and make his or her life less miserable." He explained. "You Saiyans however, are most of the time out of my range of action. I watch your everyday life like I do for any other earthling, but when you get caught up in a battle I can't interfere. Your strength, your willpower and even your thirst for fight, are beyond my abilities. You basically do what you want and trying to change that would require more power than I have."

"What am I doing here then?"

"I could not save Trunks from his own energy or from your attack as I told you, but I can help you deal with the situation. That's my way to try and still do my job."

"And what will you do? Talk me into being a nice guy?" Vegeta said with a dark chuckle.

"It took Bulma over 10 years just to start the process, even in this room we won't have enough time for that."

"Better watch your mouth little green."

"Do you remember when Frieza killed my people back then on Namek?"Dende asked, as to make the conversation move forward.

Of course Vegeta remembered, he had himself single handedly killed a whole village of Namekians.

"This is not the same, your people were revived and given a new planet."He muttered bitterly.

"I don't pretend I know how you feel, being the last of your race and everything, but I think I understand. But when the girl appeared, you reacted like you would have fifteen years ago. Today you are not alone anymore."

"Kakarott wouldn't have seized the complexity of the situation."

"Maybe not, but Gohan would have, and Bulma was ready to help you deal with it."

"This has nothing to do with them, it's my opportunity to make my initial fate come true." the Prince declared strongly.

"That's where you are wrong. You met your son from the future, you know there is a dimension in which you died when he was a baby. Your fate is not written in stone, every time you make a choice you change it, along with these of the people around you."

"What do you know about this anyway?" Vegeta cut sarcastically. "I didn't know Namekians could tell the future."

"That's what Mr. Popo and Baba told me, and looking at you past fifteen years on Earth it seems rather accurate."

"You have been spying on me and my family for all these years…"

"I have been spying on seven billion humans to protect them, that's not a lot of time each and you guys don't get a special treatment. Also I don't really like watching your house, you have a happy family but some things make me uncomfortable when I get to meet you afterwards."Dende confessed.

"Fine, that's none of your business anyway and I'm perfectly able to protect own my family."

"Even from yourself?"

Vegeta remained silent. He hated to admit it but the green thing was true. He had definitely changed Bulma and Trunks' lives when he decided to live his own adventure. True, he had rushed forward and totally ignored his relatives. Not one time he had thought about sharing the weight of the situation with Kakarott or Gohan. He felt responsible for the survival of his race and, despite every possible reason not to, moral or scientific, he felt like he had to try and save it.

"It's not all because of you, you had to face a very particular choice, I don't think someone else would have handled it better." Dende pursued after a few minutes.

"Since when do Namekians read minds?" Vegeta growled with frustration. That little God made him feel really uncomfortable.

"I wish I could, it would make my work much easier… " Dende said in a sigh. "It's now 10pm normal time, which means you could stay here for about a month before you have to go and see Bulma if you wanted to."

"Why would I stay here alone for a month?"

"I don't know, don't use the whole month but maybe at least get a full night of sleep, eat and get ready to talk to your wife and your son? You don't have to do that, but maybe it could be a good start."

Vegeta had to admit the offer was appealing. He could definitely use a few hours of sleep and putting time on hold until he was able to come up with a plan was just what he needed.

"Why are you doing this?" he asked suspiciously, "I thought I got no special treatment?"

"Consider that I'm doing my job for you, Trunks and Bulma here." Dende said as he walked toward the door.

"Wait!" Vegeta called, "Could you bring Trunks in here so that he heals faster and I can talk to him before we go back?"

"I see you quickly got the concept, but don't push your luck too far." Dende said with a slight smile. "Trunks has still not used all the time he was allowed to spend in this room, there is technically no reason for me to reject your demand. However I can't predict his reaction when he wakes up and maybe being alone with you is not what he really wishes."

"I will let him go if this is what he asks for, but here he will be able to rest as long as he wants, away from the consequences."

"Just like you." Dende noted with a nod. "The time distortion will grant you over ten hours before I come back with him, use them well."

Vegeta watched the little God cross the door and was soon alone in the oppressing silence of the room. He ate quietly and took a hot bath. It was pure bliss to be able to think alone, away from the crazy Saiyan girl, his pregnant wife and his distressed son. By the time he went to bed, he already had a new sight of the latest events, and was ready to talk to his son.

xXx

Down on Earth, Elery regained consciousness painfully. Her face was in the mud and she somehow wasn't able to roll on her back. She couldn't move her right arm and her right leg, as if they were trapped under a giant boulder. She heard voices but she was well frustrated to realize she couldn't see where they came from. She could hear two men, both way too powerful to be humans.

"Beware, she's waking up."

"She won't move. I'm pretty sure these are Vegeta's, I would be surprised if she could break free."

"Dad this is not a joke. If you're right, where is he? Seriously, if he was fighting her why did he leave her like that? And how did she survive that last power surge? I bet Piccolo felt it from the other side of the mountains."

"I guess we could just ask her…"

"I don't know, Vegeta is not that insane, there might be a reason why she's handcuffed."

But it was already too late. Goku, in his usual altruism, had destroyed the light rings that prevented her from moving and was squatting down at her side.

"Hi!" he said with a warm smile. "Nice tail you've got here, I used to have one just like yours!"


	9. Chapter 9

Vegeta was tense. Trunks had been brought in the room two days ago and still had not shown a sign of consciousness. He was in a kind of deep sleep, sometimes he moved or muttered incomprehensible words. Vegeta waited, sleeping or meditating, eating when it was time to eat but never really hungry. For the first time in his life he didn't want to train. It reminded him of his spars with Elery and made him feel nervous. He was divided between the burning impatience to see his son wake up, and the consuming anxiety of whether he would be able to say the right words when the time would come.

Trunks regained consciousness on the fourth day. Without opening his eyes, he understood that he was lying in a warm, comfortable bed. The atmosphere around him was weird. He had felt it before but couldn't remember when. He feared he might be dead and that was what the afterlife was like. He didn't really want to wake up. Last time he had died with Goten and his mother, but now he knew he would be alone. Frustrated, he realized he had not even been able to bring the Saiyan girl with him. This thought had yet a comforting tint, he had the feeling he wouldn't have been welcomed in heaven if he had effectively killed her. His memory of the latest events was however quite blurry. He recalled feeling furious against the entire world and then failing to send his attack, the rest was just blinding lights and pain.

His body was tired and he felt so well under the blankets he decided he might as well fall back asleep. Moving to rest on his other side, he realized he was in his briefs and wondered why he had appeared in the afterlife without his clothes. Thinking about it, it made no sense to be in bed either, as he didn't remember going to sleep. Risking his head out of the blankets, he decided to open his eyes and hope for the best. To his great dismay, he first saw nothing but darkness. Looking around him, he extended his arm on the side and met the thick velvety fabric of a curtain. He narrowed his eyes as he allowed a ray of white light inside his warm cocoon. He remembered now. He had already slept in this four-poster bed, but back then it had felt gigantic around him. With a slight smile he recalled how Goten used to move in his sleep and wake up all tied up in the fabric.

Trunks stretched his arms and legs out and got up. He had to find how he had ended up in the Room of Spirit and Time. He found his pants and a dark T-shirt on a chair besides the door, and as he put them on he became aware of another presence in the Time Chamber. For a second he thought it could be his mother or maybe Dende, but there was no mistake there. Vegeta was the second person. Trunks looked back at the unmade bed and bit his lower lip. Had his father carried him in there, taken off his burned shirt and laid him in bed? It was an uncomfortable feeling to know that all of this had happened while he was unconscious considering their last encounter.

He felt like he was trapped with someone he did not want to talk to, but the contrary was true as well, why would Vegeta impose himself a talk he definitely dreaded? In fourteen years, Trunks could only remember very few times when he had talked with his father about something else than the last training session or everyday life details. They had talked after Buu as he and his mother were confused regarding Vegeta's choice to kill himself in the battle, but he was seven at that time and it had remained quite superficial.

He walked out of the bedroom quietly and looked for Vegeta. He found him meditating in front of one of the giant hourglasses. The Saiyan was so deeply focused he didn't react to the sound of his son's footstep. Trunks watched him for a few seconds. He was sitting, his legs crossed in front of him, his gloved hand resting on his knees. He was perfectly still and if Trunks hadn't been able to feel his energy he could have thought it was a statue. For a brief moment he considered the idea of attacking him from behind and giving him the kick of his life, but something told him he wouldn't even come close to land a punch. After contemplating how relieving it would be, Trunks shook this thought away and cleared his throat.

Vegeta felt a chill run up his spine. He turned his head and stood up. Trunks didn't move an inch and they both looked at each other in a dense silence.

"Why are we here?" Trunks finally asked, unable to bear the awkward tension longer.

"We needed time." His father simply answered with a rough voice.

"Time for what?"

"You've been severely injured, and the Namekian couldn't heal you completely. You've been out for four days now."

Trunks considered the information for a while. His father had brought him to Dende and waited several days for him to wake up. "My attack... Something went wrong, I lost control…" He muttered. Vegeta knew he would have to explain this but even with hours of preparation he had not found how to justify his action.

"I had to stop you." He stated.

"You stopped me?"

"You lost control because you got hit by a light beam. My light beam." He began. "Trunks, that final flash would have considerably damaged the planet."

Trunks brought his hands to his hair and turned back as he remembered the scene. He had not failed his attack, it had even gone perfectly well until he had felt the burn at his side and lost his balance. "You almost killed me!" He screamed, his eyes wide open with shock.

"I know."

"First mom and then me, what's wrong with you? Just leave us alone!" Trunks shouted angrily, ready to end the conversation and leave the room.

"Bulma is fine." Vegeta said as his son was already several feet away. Trunks stopped and lowered his head before speaking with a soft voice:

"Is she?..."

"I saw her in the hospital. She will soon be back at home. She wants to see you."

"Then why did you trap me in here with you?"

"You're not trapped here, you may go whenever you want now that you're feeling better. I just wanted to talk to you before we go back to see her."

"We?"

"With her agreement I will come back home with you. Trunks... I know I didn't do the right things." Vegeta said. The words were more difficult to get out than he had thought. He looked away and pursued: "I had not realized that I didn't need the female Saiyan to be happy. I thought I was unsatisfied with the life I lived but I was wrong."

"You were bored with us." Trunks stated bitterly.

"That's what I believed. I kept comparing my everyday life with the idea I had of a great destiny across the universe, but I was forgetting how lucky I had been to end up on Earth and meet your mother."

"Is that what you told her to be allowed back home?" Trunks ironically asked.

"We didn't spend much time together, I told her I would return to the hospital after finding you."

"And she forgave you? Just like that?"

"Not really, but some circumstances have changed and she will need me at home, she will tell you more about it."

"I don't get half of what you're saying and you know what? I think I don't give a shit." Trunks cut. "All I know is that you left her and I have no guarantee that you won't do it again."

"Watch your mouth boy, she asked to be the one to explain it to you." His tone changed when he looked at his son and added: "As the Prince of the Saiyans I thought I had to try and save my people, but looking back at it I realized that I had actually already made sure to pass on the best traits of the Saiyan race."

Trunks kept his furious face but he felt warm in the chest. For the first time in months he didn't feel like a mixed-breed dog that was no match to a full blooded Saiyan son. His pride was making his heart beat faster, but he didn't want to let go so easily.

"I'm not your boy, and you should have let me kill her, she's completely wicked." He stated with a strong voice.

"Kill her and half of the human race with it…" Vegeta nodded wisely.

"As if you cared." Trunks judged with a shrug.

"Listen, I made a mistake, I know. But now I'm trying to patch it up." He really wished he would not have to say it again. He had hoped the conversation to be short and efficient and was too far out of his comfort zone to make it last longer.

"What, you decided to become a nice guy?" Trunks inquired, faking surprise.

 _Even passed down sarcasm_ , Vegeta thought as he answered:

"We both know this is not going to happen, but I can make it up to you and your mother. I decided to come back and stay. I will meet with Kakarott and his brood to find a way to deal with that female Saiyan and hopefully things will go back to normal."

"That's your brilliant plan?" His son said blankly.

"Coming from the guy who wanted to kill her savagely, I think it's rather decent." His father snapped back.

"I would have ended her if you had not killed me in the process!"

"You definitely would have, that was an impressive attack. I didn't know you had mastered it already." Vegeta declared.

"Was it?" Trunks asked, uncertain.

"It was." His father confirmed. "I've only been away for a month but you're right, you're not a boy anymore."

"Wow you really became a nice guy…" Trunks muttered.

"I dare you to say that again, boy." Vegeta challenged, yet a smirk crossed his features.

"Alright…" He said with a shy smile. "Well I'm actually really hungry, let me just grab something to eat."

"Trunks?..." Vegeta called before his son left the room. Trunks turned his head and heard his father's heartfelt voice: "I'm sorry."

xXx

Elery couldn't believe her eyes. In front of her stood two Saiyans males, both wearing an orange and blue outfit. They were absolutely perfect: tall, with spiky black hair and dark eyes, strong and powerful. Somehow they had lost their tails but she was certainly not going to go into details, it might even grow back one day. "Who are you?" she risked, wiping some brown dust off her face.

"I'm Goku and that's Gohan, my son. Why did Vegeta leave you here?"

"I don't really remember, I think I got knocked out… I just feel very hungry." She lied shamelessly.

"You know what? I'm hungry too."

Gohan was still several feet away and he knew where this was going. He spoke at the same time as his father: "We are not taking her home!" / "You should come over to eat!"

They both looked at each other and Goku spoke first: "Come on, we can't leave her here, we have no idea of where Vegeta is. And I'm really hungry and the night will be cold, she could just stay with us until we know what's up."

Gohan emitted a low growl and shrugged. He didn't want to leave her alone in the middle of nowhere but he had the feeling Chichi wouldn't like their new guest.

"Alright then, time to eat!" Goku concluded cheerfully.

He took her hand as Gohan touched his shoulder and in a blink they were in front of the Sons' house. Gohan went ahead while Elery got over the instant transmission surprise, and exposed the situation to his mother. Lowering his voice, he explained the girl might be a Saiyan and he didn't want to leave her unsupervised.

"She can't sleep here, we don't have enough bedrooms." Chichi said. "I'm calling Bulma, she may know something about this."

"I will go back to my place, she can have my bedroom." Gohan advised. "I will talk to dad and Goten, they will have an eye on her while I'm away."

Chichi saw her husband cross the door and looked at the woman that was trying to hide behind his large shoulders. She reminded her of a younger version of herself, when she wore her hair down and had time to train every day. Without a word she grabbed Goku by the arm and pulled him away.

"Goku, you know you can't just invite over the first person you meet, with Gohan at home we don't have enough rooms, and she... Well it's not like she could sleep in Goten's room like Trunks would." She scowled.

"Chichi she just needs a place to crash until I know what's up with Vegeta. Really it's just for the night. Look at her, she has got a tail like Gohan and me used to, it's not just a random girl, right?"

"No it's not, and it's scaring me to be honest..."

"I can't really tell right now but she doesn't seem to be more powerful than Goten, there is no way she could harm you in this house." Goku assured.

"But..." Chichi bit her lip.

"Hey, I will be there to protect you, ok?" he said as he held her tightly in his powerful arms.

The nose in his orange gi, Chichi closed her eyes and remained silent. She was more worried about the fact that her guest was a woman than by her tail but she knew the fight was vain. After over 20 years of marriage, Goku had become a caring husband and an attentive father, but she knew he still didn't get the concept of jealousy. Several times she had tried to explain him that she didn't like to see him spend his afternoons with Bulma, but he kept saying that they were just very old friends, not realizing that he was making things worse for his wife. Somehow that was maybe the reason why she still loved him after all, his everlasting kindness and ignorance of the dark side of the world. Knowing she wouldn't have the courage to expose her point again this night, she silently nodded and said the girl would take Gohan's room. Reluctantly, she went upstairs to prepare the room for her guest. When she came down the stairs, she found her three men around the table with the woman. They had taken food out of the fridge and were snacking on some leftovers. They didn't talk, busy eating although the men had all had a consistent dinner. All three of them seemed captivated by their guest and watched her every move with fascination. Goten couldn't get his eyes off her slowly waving tail and Gohan had to kick him under the table to stop his creepy stare.

Elery on her side felt blessed. While Vegeta had originally tried to push her away, the orange clad Saiyan had given her food and invited her to stay for the night. Looking at him and his two sons, she felt like she had won the lottery. She ate everything she could and was escorted to the bathroom by Chichi, who loudly insisted she needed a shower and had better not leave dust in the bedroom. Those human women definitely were not easy to cope with. Once alone she undressed and brushed the hairs of her tail with the hand. She stepped into the shower and enjoyed the hot water lengthily.

Down in the kitchen the Sons were having a family council.

"What do you mean you can't find Vegeta?" Gohan insisted.

"I can't find his energy, nor Trunks'." His father explained.

"And Bulma is offline too." Chichi added after several unsuccessful calls.

"Do you think they just left?"

"I sparred with Trunks like three days ago but got no news since that. I know he was worried about his mother at the moment." Goten declared.

"Worried about Bulma? Why?" Chichi rose an eyebrow, concern shining in her eyes.

"He didn't tell me, he just seemed upset."

"I haven't heard anything about the Capsule Corps' CEO being out of office, not that they would let that make the headlines but still..." Gohan wondered out loud.

"And Vegeta?..." Goten asked.

"I haven't seen him for over a month." Goku affirmed.

"You don't think something bad could have happened to Bulma and Trunks?" Chichi gasped.

"I don't know." He admitted, shaking his head slowly.

"We need to know more about the girl, I'm sure she knows way more than what she tells us about all of this." Gohan argued.

"Goku…" Chichi muttered.

"Why me?" her husband pouted like a little child, despite being one of the strongest warriors on Earth.

"She scares me…" she confessed quietly.

"I could go…" Goten offered with confidence.

"Oh no you will stay right here young man." His mother immediately answered.

xXx

Vegeta and Trunks came out of the Room of Spirit and Time about half an hour after getting in, they had taken a few more days inside for Trunks to fully recover quietly. After briefly thanking Dende for his help, Vegeta told his son to fly ahead. He was nervous to see Trunks' reaction to knowing he would be a brother. He knew his son was still upset against him and the pregnancy would prove it was definitely his fault if Bulma had been sick for the past weeks. But Elery has certainly awoken since he had handcuffed her and, while it was tempting, he couldn't let her there for the night. Once back on the battlefield, he looked in the dark for the light rings he had thrown. After flying in circles for a while he worried he might be in the wrong place as he didn't find anything. He tried to sense the girl's energy but couldn't feel a living soul miles around. He landed where he remembered seeing her for the last time and was forced to admit that she was gone. Vegeta pinched his lips bitterly. For a second he thought she had freed herself but he knew she wasn't strong enough. In his life he had only met one person able to break his energy rings. He growled with anger but then remembered Dende's words: "You had to face a very particular choice, I don't think someone else would have handled it better." Surely the three Sons would be enough to babysit her for the night. Taking off in the dark clouds to fly back he muttered for himself: "Alright Kakarott, let's see how you deal with this."

Trunks landed silently on the roof of the hospital and walked down to the room Vegeta had indicated. Bulma had been waiting stressfully and let out a sigh of relief when Trunks crossed the door. She extended her arms to her son and held him tight against her. "You changed room." Trunks noted as she let him go and he sat down on the bed.

"I had to undergo several exams while you were away. How did you know?"

"I met dad, he will soon be here… Although you don't really seem to need him anymore."

"Trunks," Bulma softly began, brushing a thin strand of purple hair away from his face, "do you remember how sick I was last week? And I kept telling you I was fine?" Trunks had a concerned face and nodded. "That was true, I knew what was happening but I didn't tell you."

"They can't heal you, right?" he guessed as he got paler.

"Oh no Sweetie, it's just the contrary. You are actually going to have a younger sibling."

Trunks looked at his mother's eyes and saw she was not lying. He saw her hand tenderly placed on her stomach and had a moment of hesitation before eventually taking her into his arms.

"Mom... I was so worried..."

"I know I'm sorry, I shouldn't have hidden it from you, you're almost an adult now."

"Is it why you allowed Vegeta back home?"

"This is between me and your father, but yes he will come back to help me."

"I could be there for you..." Her son insisted.

"Trunks, I know it will be complicated but I really want this baby to grow up in a family. This is why I agreed to live with your father again."

"Do you trust him after what he has done? What if he leaves again?" He protested, narrowing his eyes.

"I don't know, maybe I'm naive but I think he does care about us after all..." His mother admitted, sighing.

"Vegeta cares?" Trunks said with incredulity.

"Quit calling your father by his first name I don't like it."

Trunks had a frustrated shrug and got up from the bed. Looking through the window he simply said: "Well, dad is back."

xXx

In the Sons' house the discussion went on as none of the Saiyans could figure out what to ask the girl and how. Goku was convinced it could wait for the next morning but Gohan and Chichi insisted to know how she had ended up handcuffed in the desert before giving her a bed. The council however got suddenly interrupted several minutes later as Goten jumped from his chair. With a wide grin he exclaimed:

"Guys I know where Vegeta has been... In Bulma's bed!"

"Son Goten! Not under my roof!" Chichi shouted furiously, waving a threatening dish towel.

"Relax Mom, I just got a text from Trunks."

Gohan furrowed his brows, took the phone his brother was giving him and read out loud for everyone to hear: "Goten you won't believe it I'm gonna be a big brother!"

Upstairs and the hair still dripping after her shower, Elery bit her lower lip. That blue haired woman was definitely a problem.


	10. Chapter 10

_AN : I'm sorry if there are format problems with this chapter, I had to recover it and it was a mess when I first re-published it. I hope you can read it in good conditions now._

* * *

Goku couldn't sleep. Lying in bed beside his wife he tried to figure out the situation. After Goten's announcement they had decided to suspend the council and deal with it in the morning. He felt like he had only some pieces of the puzzle and none of them fit together. The woman had come out of nowhere. She had mentioned a few things about space travel and Vegetasei between two bites of leftovers but they had not managed to understand much. Besides, it seemed that Vegeta had met her and then disappeared, leaving his pregnant wife alone. Though his old rival was not a family man, Goku knew it was not like him anymore to make such a low move. Maybe the problem was actually older and deeper than they thought, he wondered, maybe Bulma was not expecting Vegeta's child. He got lost in improbable theories and complicated dark plots that could have led the Prince to abandon his family.

It was almost four in the morning when he snapped out of his concerned thoughts. Something had changed in the house. The girl was awake. She had come out if her room and was slowly walking down the stairs. Furrowing his brows, Goku sat on his bed, put on a pair of training pants and, placing two fingers on his forehead, he vanished in the air to materialize right in front of her. In the darkness of the living room Elery jumped back in surprise, missed the last step and fell on her bottom as she instinctively tried to cover herself. She was only wearing her top and panties and had wrapped her tail around her waist. Goku looked at her up and down and talked with a low but severe voice: "What do you think you are doing?"

"I was hungry." she answered with a shrug, upset by her ridiculous fall.

"Don't you think you've eaten enough of our food already?" he scowled.

"Hey, a Saiyan has got to eat." she said as she got up on her feet and walked to the fridge. Goku was not amused. He knew it had been difficult for Chichi to let the girl sleep in Gohan's bed for the night, and he didn't want her to be out of groceries in the morning.

"We are already three in this house, we can't feed you forever. Tomorrow you will have to leave." he declared.

"Elery froze behind the door of the fridge. Her savior was starting to get a bit too suspicious and after the mess with Vegeta she couldn't afford to miss her second chance. Now was time for the show. She bit her lower lip and, after letting out a small sigh she pouted: "And I thought you were nicer than Vegeta..."

"What did you do to him?"

"Me? Nothing. I was lost after my space pod crashed on Earth, I came to meet him and he pushed me away." She innocently said as she closed the door.  
"Why would he reject another Saiyan?"

"Alright," she admitted, "to be honest I asked for a favor and he refused."

"What favor?" Goku inquired seriously.

"You wouldn't understand." she declared as she turned around and opened the cupboard with her tail. She bent down to grab a plate and closed the door with a move of the hips. Goku couldn't help but look at the furry appendage. He remembered how he used to use his own tail to brush his back in the shower. As expected, she caught his eyes on her panties when she turned back. She shrugged with a naughty smile: "What? Do you think I had pajamas in my pocket or something?"

Goku swallowed and focused again. "What I did you ask him?"

"It was not important really, just disappointing..." She said with a sad voice.

"Does your demand have anything to with his current situation?" He inquired with a frown.

"Surely yes." she nodded, "It wouldn't have been so complicated if he had given me what I asked for in the first place". Looking at him in the eyes she sat at the table and let her tail wrap around the wooden bar of the chair. Goku was getting really uncomfortable, he wished he could give her something to put on but he didn't want to wake up Chichi by fumbling in the drawers. Sitting in front of her he asked again:

"Why didn't you ask somebody else to help you?"

"Because... Only a true Saiyan can grant my wish, and I thought he was the last one."

"Well, I'm a full blooded Saiyan as well." Goku stated.

"But I really need a powerful Saiyan, that's why I asked the Prince of our people first, I heard he was the most powerful Saiyan ever." She sighed heavily, making her breasts stretch the thin fabric of her top.

"I'm stronger than Vegeta." he answered, somehow very proud of himself.

"Are you? Really I'm not sure that you could do that for me..." she hesitated.

"If Vegeta can do it then I can do it." Goku said, irritated.

"Oh alright then, if you insist I guess I could let you help me." She agreed absent-mindedly.

"If I give you what you want, will you leave my family and Vegeta's alone?"

"Definitely."

"Fine then, we have a deal. Tell me now." Goku demanded impatiently.

"No… I can't." She saw him twitch with annoyance and knew she was pushing her luck but she pursued: "I will tell you but first I need to stay here for a few more days."

Goku clenched his teeth. Chichi would never allow that.

"Please", she insisted with a tiny voice, "I don't have anywhere else to go. I don't want to go back to Vegeta's, he was so mean, he... he abused me." She let out a small noise that sounded like a snob and hid her face in her hands.

Goku closed his eyes and furrowed his brows. Vegeta had not been violent against defenseless people for ages but still, he had handcuffed her alone in the desert, she had bruises all over her body and she seemed quite shaken by the event. With a chill Goku wondered if the Prince had come back to his old self. Biting his lips, he heard himself say: "You have three days. Not one more."

xXx

The Briefs came back home in the early morning. The atmosphere was as tense as possible. Goten had sent his best friend several texts to talk about the attracting woman that had been sleeping at his place. Trunks had not answered and simply confirmed to his father that the Saiyan had found shelter at the Sons' house. Vegeta wondered how many hours he would get before Kakarott appeared in front of him to bring back the girl but it somehow didn't happen. The day went by in an uncomfortable silence as all the family members tried to keep themselves busy. Mrs. Brief had expressed her relief to see Vegeta home but a dark glare from her grandson had kept her from sharing her good mood. Vegeta spent a big part of the day in the gravity room, lying on the floor, considering his return home and how far his still was from regaining his family's trust. They ate together quietly, everyone in their usual sit, all secretly taking in the fact that there was no empty chair anymore. Soon the night fell and Vegeta stopped expecting Kakarott's visit. Surely it was not a good thing to let Elery live there, the third class was such a naive idiot, but he couldn't bring himself to go and pick her up when the ambience in his own house was so unstable.

Bulma went to her bedroom early after dinner. Millions of questions and doubts filled her mind and her restless brain couldn't bear the awkward silence anymore. Also, she craved the comfort of her own bed after her stay in the hospital. She had been reading for a good hour when someone knocked at the door. As she looked up from her book, Vegeta appeared in the doorway and she had an irrepressible quiver. Her room was also his room. They both looked at each other for a few seconds and he eventually lowered his head and spoke with a quiet voice: "I'm just taking my pillow. I will sleep in another room."  
A wave of relief ran through Bulma's body. She felt bad to have him move out of his own room but she didn't feel strong enough to tell him to stay. She wasn't ready to share her bed with him again and had spent the day dreading the moment he would come in and claim his place next to her. Despite the baby she was carrying she felt awfully distant. She couldn't see him like the man she had married anymore. She nodded briefly, grabbed his pillow, which was still on his side of the bed although it had not been used for a month, and extended her arms to give it to him. As he walked around the bed to leave she hesitated and, aware that she wouldn't sleep without knowing, she asked the question that had been in her mind for weeks "Vegeta?" He stopped halfway across the room. "Did you…" She tightened her grip on her book. She wasn't sure she wanted the answer anymore. "I mean you and her…" He stood motionless, quietly waiting for her to let it out. "Did you sleep with her?" she finally managed to mutter. Her words echoed in his head for a moment. He and Elery had become quite close as they had spent almost all of their time together for a month. They would always part at night but sometimes, when the training had been rough and the weather was mild, they stayed a little longer with each other. They had things in common that even Kakarott wouldn't understand and it made her presence comforting. She knew what it felt like to be the last of their species. Kakarott had always been more of a human than an actual Saiyan as he had grown up on Earth, but not Elery. She knew how lonely the life of a survivor could be. His flow of memories suddenly changed as he recalled a particular night and twitched. He had had a moment of weakness and still was very uneasy with what had happened. Looking into Bulma's worried eyes he felt disgusted with himself. He quickly shook the disturbing thought away and answered sincerely before leaving the room: "No. No, I did not."

Bulma watched her husband close the door behind him and closed her eyes as she let herself fall back on her pillows. He had fallen so quickly for the other woman that she had doubted he would be able to reject her advances. For a while she had even considered it was foolish to think nothing would happen between them. After all it seemed that she had been right to give him a second chance. She gently placed a hand on her stomach and sighed. She was not alone anymore.

In another room of the house, Trunks struggled to find a comfortable sleep position. Reading Goten's text in the dark, he pondered which attitude to have toward the woman. He wanted to see what she would become before deciding whether to trust his father or not. He was afraid that it might only have been sweet words from him and that his mother had fallen for it because of her pregnancy. That was also another idea he was not familiar with. All his life he had thought he would be an only child as his birth had been totally unwanted and his parents had not seemed to enjoy the experience enough to do it again on purpose. He was excited to have a younger sibling but desperately wished the baby would have a better family around him than he had had himself. Growing up he had missed his father's attention and didn't want another child to know this. That night as he fell asleep, he promised himself he would do everything he could to grant his little brother a sweet childhood.

xXx

Chichi had never been really fond of Vegeta and, after hearing that the girl had been abused by him since her arrival on Earth, she had reluctantly agreed to have her home for a few more days. To prevent Elery from emptying the fridge and bothering his wife, Goku took her with him to his training the day after. It would give them time to talk privately about their late night deal. He still wondered what kind of favor Vegeta could refuse to another Saiyan. How complicated could it be for his rival to think that he was not strong enough to satisfy it?

Once several miles away from the house, both Saiyans began a short warm up. Goku was surprised to see her so eager for a fight and decided to give it a shot before the serious talk he planned. He soon invited her to spar and watched her fall into a fighting stance. He let her have the first kicks like he used to do with his sons in their early years and watched her moves with interest, simply dodging and countering her blows. After a few minutes however, he realized something was weird in the way she fought. She was not bad at it but her attacks were not natural. It looked like she used combinations that she didn't master yet. Goku soon had a clear idea of the explanation but wanted to make sure he was right. He sent a few small ki balls and she dodged them quickly, before producing a blue light beam from her palms. Goku moved out of the way effortlessly and had a dark chuckle. "What's next? A Big Bang attack?" he shouted at her. "Looks like someone has been training with Vegeta…"Elery froze as she realized her mistake. She had convinced her host not to talk to Vegeta about her, pretending to fear a violent reaction from him, but now her little story wouldn't last long.

"I have been patient enough." Goku said as he walked toward her. He was quite taller than her and looked surprisingly threatening when he bent over her and pursued: "I doubt Vegeta would have taken the time to teach you how to fight back if he just wanted to beat you up. Tell me about the favor you asked for. Now."

"Alright I will." She eventually let out with a sigh. "Let's sit over there, it's a long story."

They sat next to each other in the grass behind thick bushes that shielded them from the wind and she began to narrate her journey. How she was born after Vegetasei's destruction and had been raised by her mother and how she had traveled the universe to find Vegeta. Goku listened attentively, trying to remember everything she said, his kind heart slowly understanding what she had been through. She explained how lonely she used to be and the relief she had felt after finding out she was not the last Saiyan. And saying that, she sat closer to him and looked at him in the eyes. "I'm so glad I met you."  
He could feel her warm shoulder against his arm and had a hard time staying focused. She smelled really good.

"You still didn't tell me why Vegeta refused to help you."He insisted as he recalled their last talk.

"I tried to convince him for a month but somehow I failed, you know how stubborn he can be. Maybe I asked him for something too specific…" She muttered as she shifted position to face him, reducing even more the distance between them.

"Tell me." Goku urged as he saw her eyes shine and confusedly realized how close her face was to his. He really wanted to help her. Something in the way she spoke shyly made him want to protect her.

"It's difficult to explain. Maybe I could… Show you?" She offered with a small smile as she pushed him down on the ground.

"Show me?" he wondered out loud, and with surprise he found himself lying in the green grass and looking at the cloudy sky. "What are you doing?"

"I don't know, what do you want me to do?" She asked as she raised an eyebrow and swiftly sat across his hips.

Goku's brain stopped functioning properly. Her hot skin gave off a wild and overpowering scent that blurred his thoughts. Everything was wrong but for a moment he found himself unable to say anything. Her fluffy tail waved slowly behind her in a regular and captivating motion. His hand brushed up against her leg and the sight of her fit body the night before in the kitchen came to his mind. Something deep inside him wanted to let her go further. Something feral. It just felt right. Seeing him muddled, Elery decided to be more explicit and lifted his shirt. With an appreciative look, she leaned over him to whisper in his ear with a smooth voice: "Wow… You really look stronger than Vegeta…

That's all Goku needed to come back to reality. "Vegeta". He blinked several times and with wide furious eyes he realized what was happening. Replaying the scene in his head, he understood what his rival had refused to do and how weak he was himself for letting that happen. He brutally sent the girl crash away from him as she was running her fingers on his chest. With a chill of disgust he stood up and tucked his shirt back in.

"Never…" he began, his voice shaking with anger, "Never come anywhere close to my house again… My sons... How could you? Why?… Chichi…"

"She is just a human woman… Together we would be strong enough to rule the universe!" She claimed as she saw him getting mad.

"That's why you went to meet Vegeta first!"

"Just think about it!" She implored, scared as she faced his growing agitation.

"I grew up on Earth, I fought for it! I am not at all interested in ruling anything!" He exclaimed strongly as he walked up to her. She curled up on the ground and protected her face with her hand as he overlooked her.

"Please don't hurt me!" she whined in his shadow.

"So that you could walk around and tell people I abused you?" he roared, "I think Vegeta would be glad to hear that."

xXx

Vegeta had spent an awful night in the guest room. He was glad to find again the comfort of his house, but he felt terribly lonely. Although he knew Bulma needed time to accept him back, he craved his wife's presence next to him. To his own surprise, he realized he wanted to touch her, to hold her against him and feel the tiny life growing inside her. Yet she was still too upset against him and he didn't want to scare her.

The morning after they had a silent breakfast together and he left to train in the gravity room. He turned it on to 400G and waited for the crushing weight to thicken the atmosphere. A tough training session surely would help him empty his mind. Yet he was not even halfway through his warm up when he felt something weird in the air. Someone was there. He turned back and saw Kakarott standing in front of him, a dark scowl on his face. Without a word the younger Saiyan extended his arm forward and let the girl fall on the floor between them. Elery tried to get up but she was glued to the ground. Something held her down as if she weighed hundred times her own weight. Trying not to choke to death under the pressure, she watched powerless the two males talk seriously."What is this?" Goku growled, pointing at the body lying at his feet. He had hardly ever been so furious.

"Took you a while." Vegeta noted casually.

"She didn't want to tell me why she was here. Today she tried to show me..." the other explained, still not quite sure about what had just happened.

"You lucky boy." The Prince answered sarcastically with a repulsed glare at her.

"I don't want her in my house." Goku stated strongly.

"Well, me neither." The older Saiyan admitted. With low tone he pursued: "We need to talk."

And saying that he walked to the control panel, turned the enhanced gravity off and told Goku to follow him outside. Elery stood up as well but Vegeta locked her in the room before she had the time to protest.

The two Saiyans sat at the kitchen table and Vegeta began his explanations. It was hard to recall all the things he had been through over the last month but he had been preparing his speech. He only gave the necessary facts for Kakarott to get an accurate overview of the situation. Goku soon began to understand that he had not been the only one to be fooled by Elery. Vegeta was about to talk about his plan to send her back to her planet when Bulma entered the room with a cup of tea.

"Hi Bulma. Congrats." Goku said with a soft smile as he looked down at her belly.

"Vegeta, why does he always know that I'm pregnant before everybody else?" she asked with concern.

"Same stuff, your son told him." her husband answered.

Bulma shrugged and sat with them at the table. "So she's back, right?" She said with a weak voice. Vegeta watched her as she repressed a grimace.  
"She said she used to live with her mother on Sperks. We could send her back there." he suggested. It was the simplest plan he had come up with. Nobody would get hurt and the little adventure would end up with virtually no consequences.

Bulma held her hot cup with her both hands as to enjoy its warmth. Focused, she spoke seriously: "You will need a spacecraft."

Vegeta swallowed uncomfortably. It was what he had planned but he felt bad asking Bulma for so much effort during her pregnancy. "It could wait for the baby to be born," he advanced, "you're in no shape to do this now."

"Actually we won't be free for another 18 years Vegeta." Bulma stated bluntly. She looked at her cup thoughtfully for a while and sighed. "It will be slow but I will work on it. The sooner she leaves the happier I am."


	11. Chapter 11

Bulma rubbed her eyelids with a yawn. She was three weeks into the design of her spacecraft but her pregnancy slowed down her progression. She should already have been done with the blue prints at this point but she couldn't manage to actually finish them. She was always either too tired, to upset or too sick to sit down at the drawing board and complete the design. She stretched out, crossing her fingers far over her head, and leaned against the back of her chair. Her eyes roamed absentmindedly on the wide screens that covered the walls of the lab. Enlarged pictures of the pieces of the Saiyan pod they had found were displayed next to some notes she had taken. Some of them had a bright question mark, meaning that she needed to ask Vegeta for more details. On the largest screen was a map of the sky. A green dot in the center represented the Earth. She smiled at the absurdity of her problems in this giant galaxy.

xXx

Elery had been notified that the gravity room was now her place and that she was not to go out without Vegeta being present to watch over her. The truth was that it had become her personal jail cell and the door was only open during restricted hours. Nobody was comfortable with the idea of keeping her as a prisoner, but Bulma and Chichi outright refused to let her anywhere near their sons. Goku had innocently told his wife about his training session with the Saiyan girl and had been severely scolded for being an oblivious idiot. Both Bulma and Chichi wondered about her unhealthy obsession for reproduction. Bulma insisted that Vegeta was well aware he could not rebuild his clan with a single female but it didn't stop him from being fascinated by her existence. Chichi was afraid Goku's candidness would be used against him and forbade any contact between him and the girl. The women spent hours together around the teapot, talking about Bulma's pregnancy, their faithful husbands and the troublesome guest.

As for Vegeta, the Saiyan kept a low profile and tried to find the right balance between taking care of his pregnant wife, something he had never done before, and dealing with the girl without creating more problems. He had established a schedule that was supposed to prevent Elery from plotting against them or trying to escape. He never spent more than one hour alone with her. It was officially to reassure Bulma, but deep down Vegeta knew it was a measure he had taken to protect himself. He had seen how easy it was for Elery to mess up with his mind. She had a way of saying exactly what he wanted to hear when he needed to hear it. She would get under his skin, trigger his pride and flatter his ego in a perfect combination of behavior and speech. No matter how he tried to stop her, how terrifying his threats and haughty his indifference, she always had the last word. To her it was an intoxicating game in which she gambled with her life to get the tiniest sign of attention from him. It started every time he unlocked the door and she won at the first twitch of an eyebrow, the mere blink of an eye or delay in a movement. Vegeta dreaded his visits to her, he feared his own weakness of mind, but couldn't avoid them. She had to be fed and trained and he was almost convinced she would let herself starve to death if he stopped coming, for the sole purpose of weighting on his conscience. The worst for him was that he was alone in his ordeal. Kakarott was too stupid to be left alone with Elery and her manipulative schemes, and Bulma was still distant and uneasy around him. Not that he wanted to report to his wife the indecent offers and the promises of power and glory the Saiyan girl would whisper to him, but he wouldn't have said no to a few minutes of contact and attention.

Bulma had mixed feelings. Her relationship with Vegeta was terribly shaky but she still could not find the strength to make a move toward him. She remembered how Trunks and herself had suffered when he had left and it was too hard to trust him again so soon. She knew accepting Vegeta back home was the best thing to do for her family. Trunks had tried to become the man of the family and take care of his mother but a part of him was still a child and Bulma would not steal it away from him, no matter the circumstances. She had seen her teenager take on adult responsibilities while hiding the pain of missing his dad and she would never allow it again.

xXx

Resting one hand on each side of the sink, Trunks looked at the strange reflection in the mirror. The boy he saw was tired. The bathroom light gave him an unflattering yellow complexion and enhanced his dark circles and pale skin. His T-shirt was worn and slightly too small. His body had the curious proportions of one that had grown too fast. His arms and hands seemed to develop at their own pace, much quicker than the rest of his body. His shoulders were wider than he remembered. Trunks heard Goten call him through the door and stopped his contemplation. He quickly tied his hair in a low pony tail and joined his best friend in the next room, where he lay on his sleeping bag and crossed his fingers behind his head. That night he was sleeping over at the Son's and although they kept their voices low, the boys were nowhere close to falling asleep.

"How can you be sure your dad is the father since he was gone for a month?" Goten asked with excitement as he rolled on his side to face Trunks.

"My mom didn't see anybody else," Trunks shrugged, "she would just stay at home and work, I don't see how she could have met someone else."

"But what if before he left…"

"Do you really think my dad would let someone else get any close to his wife?"

"I don't know maybe he…"

"Stop. Stop talking about this." Trunks cut dryly. "This baby will be my little brother no matter what."

"Well I hope it will be a boy…" Goten said mischievously.

"Why?"

"Imagine if it's a girl and she looks like your dad." he laughed.

Trunks repressed a very unpleasant image of a girl blessed with large muscles and thick, furrowed black brows across her balding forehead.

"Why would you say that?" he asked, his irritation piercing in the dark.

"My dad says he is the second child and his brother told him he looked like their father." Goten explained, "And I'm the second child and I'm basically identical to my dad. It could be the same in your family…".

"My mom is super pretty I don't see why my little sister wouldn't be."

"Then all the boys will be chasing after her." Goten teased.

"She will be amazing and I will make sure no one lays a hand on her." Trunks stated resolutely.

"Oh wow, protective big brother, I see…" Goten said with a mocking smile.

"Shut up."

"Hey calm down, you know I would protect her as well."

"You stay away from my sister." Trunks spat harshly.

"Ah man, I really hope it's a brother…" Goten contentedly sighed.

xXx

Vegeta's wish became reality a few days later when Bulma asked him to join her in her main lab. He found her surrounded by maps and plans representing different areas of the sky around the Earth. From the doorstep he could only see the back of her chair. Without looking back, she invited him to sit next to him in front of the desk.

"I have a few questions about the space pod" she started, "I hope you can answer them, it's crucial for the final design."

"I haven't been in one in a while but I will do what I can." he answered seriously.

"Don't kid with me, I know soldiers are taught how to repair their ship in case they need to."

Vegeta was surprised both at her familiarity and her reference to his past as a warrior, but above all he was amazed by the soft smile she wore for him. They had not been alone together for several weeks and he had not yet been able to understand how he was supposed to behave around her. He still slept in a different bedroom and felt like he had to gain her trust all over again. He was afraid to get close to her, to make a wrong move and lose her again. He waited patiently for her to be ready.

"Read this and explain what you can" she continued as she gave him a small pile of papers.

He browsed the documents and quickly began with the first page.

"These pieces are not from the original craft." he pointed out.

"They aren't?"

"No. These would be added by mechanics to improve the power of the ship. It was common practice although it was theoretically forbidden in the army."

"Oh I see..."

"Why did you write "food" on this?" he asked.

"I can't figure out where the food and the water were stored, nor the waste."

"Why would you want to bring food?" he chuckled.

"How did you survive the long trips?" Bulma asked with a surprised smile.

"The trips were at most four hours long, sometimes six but it was rare." he explained, "The troops would travel in the main ship to get as close as possible to the targeted planet and only then the space pods where used to land and invade."

"Oh I didn't know that… So this is why she took so long, she could only jump from one planet to another and travel very small distances at a time."

"I'm actually amazed she managed to use it for such a long travel," Vegeta nodded, "no wonder it crashed into pieces when she landed. This thing was used way beyond its intended purpose."

"Why do you think she spent her life looking for you when she was not even sure you were alive?" Bulma asked suddenly, putting down her papers and leaning back in her chair.

"I don't know, it looks like she thinks she is on a mission, she has to save her race…"

"She's obsessed." she stated.

Vegeta said nothing. Yes, Elery was definitely obsessed, but he was lying when he said he did not know how someone could spend a life looking for the last representative of their species. He remembered the first time he had realized his race would disappear with him. It was shortly after his arrival on Frieza's ship. At that time, he had not even thought about the fact that Radditz, Nappa and himself were all males, he had just observed the life of the soldiers on the ship and understood they would all die young in battle and be forgotten forever. With his planet blown away, no trace of the Saiyans would remain. He was not even fifteen and he had already accepted the emptiness of his life. He was still alive but somehow nothing mattered anymore, he was just waiting for his death to come, an insignificant detail in a story that nobody would ever remember. Vegeta knew that if, at this point, he had known about another Saiyan being alive and free from Frieza, he would have done everything to find her. He would have traveled the universe just to be able to find another person like him. Someone who would understand how it felt to be the last of his kind. Someone who knew how lonely he was. Surely that was why he had decided to stay on Earth after Radditz and Nappa's death. Kakarott was more of a human than a Saiyan but he sure was a decent opponent, and there was Bulma. She was the first one to care about him. Across the galaxy the Saiyans were feared and resented, and on Frieza's ship no soldier wanted to have to deal with them, but Bulma was different. She had treated him like a human, unconcerned whether he was about to break her bones and eat her alive.

"Why is there a question mark next to these coordinates?" he asked to break the awkward silence that had settled.

"They are incorrect, you must have made a mistake while writing them down last time that's all." Bulma explained.

"No, they are not." he declared buntly.

"I can totally understand if you don't remember the exact data for a small neighbor planet you know."

"I'm telling you these are correct." he insisted, "It was easy to remember, they are almost the same as the coordinates of Vegetasei but the eights become sevens in the last number."

"Maybe you are being confused with another small planet I don't know, it's been a while and you were young, just check them please…"

"I would if I could but it's not like I have them written down somewhere… If you're not satisfied with these I can't do anything else."

"I can't design the ship without knowing exactly where it will go… I mean if we were building a giant destroyer it wouldn't matter much but it's a one person pod, each square inch is valuable, it would be a waste to use a giant fuel tank if I can downsize it you see?..."

"What makes you think that the coordinates I gave you are incorrect?" Vegeta asked.

"They don't match the map."

"What do you mean?"

"I mean that there is nothing where Sperks is supposed to be if I trust these data."

"Nothing?"

"When Vegetasei exploded, it blew away several other planets and left a giant void in the galaxy." Bulma clarified, "A huge area without a single piece of rock or stardust. Sperks was beyond the limits of this empty space, and should have actually resisted the explosion, just like she explained. But I can't find it anywhere."

Bulma raised her head from her papers to the largest screen and typed the coordinates on the keyboard. The image shifted to present another area of the galaxy. Vegeta looked at the screen. It showed nothing but tiny bright dots in the black sky. Nothing but a few stars that where millions of light years away.

"Is it possible that your map is incorrect or outdated?" he asked with a dry mouth.

"What you see on the screen is not a map. It's a live stream from the European giant telescope. The largest on Earth, the only one that can see that far away. Capsule Corps was the main investor, they let me use it when they don't need it for research purposes."

Vegeta looked at the screen again and then at Bulma. Their eyes met and they shared the same small chill down their spine. They both knew what the void on the screen implied. The girl they kept in their backyard had lied about her origin and they could no longer plan on sending her back to her home planet.

"I ran a scan," Bulma said tensely, "there is no planet that matches Sperks coordinates, size or description in the area. I'm not saying there never was one, but as of today, it's not there anymore."


End file.
